Dictionary.com

mandala

[ muhn-dl-uh ]
/ ˈmʌn dl ə /

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. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for mandala

  • The fact that mandala, traded all over the world, once represented that order escapes their personal experience.

    The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

  • 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

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