Jainism

American  

[jahy-niz-uhm] / ˈdʒaɪ nɪz əm /

noun

1. a dualistic religion founded in the 6th century b.c. as a revolt against current Hinduism and emphasizing the perfectibility of human nature and liberation of the soul, especially through asceticism and nonviolence toward all living creatures.

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Jainism British  

/ ˈdʒaɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. an ancient Hindu religion, which has its own scriptures and believes that the material world is eternal, progressing endlessly in a series of vast cycles

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Jainist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Jainism

First recorded in 1855–60; Jain + -ism

Compare meaning

How does jainism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Jainism vs. Hinduism

Example Sentences

As these forms of faith came down to the present day, they tended to ignore the strain of religions that are mostly nonproselytizing—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto and tribal indigenous traditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

For Jains, it's about the moment Jainism founder Lord Mahavira reached a state of being known as Moksha, or eternal bliss.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2023

There will be exemptions for artistic, academic or religious use of swastikas, which has a spiritual significance in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

From Reuters • Jun. 8, 2023

The show, which was organized by Adriana Proser, now a curator at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, is certainly varied, with images from Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Islam.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Of the origin of that important school we know nothing, but it differs from Jainism chiefly in the greater elaboration of its psychological and evolutionary theories and in the elimination of some materialistic ideas.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 1 by Eliot, Charles, Sir