mandala

[ muhn-dl-uh ]

/ ˈmʌn dl ə /

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noun

Oriental Art. a schematized representation of the cosmos, chiefly characterized by a concentric configuration of geometric shapes, each of which contains an image of a deity or an attribute of a deity.

(in Jungian psychology) a symbol representing the effort to reunify the self.

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Origin of mandala

First recorded in 1855–60, mandala is from the Sanskrit word maṇḍala circle

Words nearby mandala

man crush, Mancunian, -mancy, M&A, Mandaean, mandala, Mandalay, mandamus, Mandan, mandarin, mandarinate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mandala in a sentence

I only use supplies from the environment, for instance by making mandalas out of shells on the beach.
The Ethics of Leaving Public Art in Outdoor Spaces|awise|January 2, 2022|Outside Online
One of the more striking visual demonstrations of this is the practice among Tibetan monks of constructing gorgeous sand mandalas, complex designs and patterns laboriously built over many days, after which they are ceremoniously swept away.
Over Time, Buddhism and Science Agree - Issue 94: Evolving|David P. Barash|December 23, 2020|Nautilus
The marriage ceremony takes place in a pandal (booth) on a raised or conspicuous place adorned with various figures or mandala.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston
The fact that mandala, traded all over the world, once represented that order escapes their personal experience.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for mandala

mandala

/ (ˈmændələ, mænˈdɑːlə) /

noun

Hindu & Buddhist art any of various designs symbolizing the universe, usually circular

psychol such a symbol expressing a person's striving for unity of the self

Word Origin for mandala

Sanskrit: circle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012