definitions

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.

Nearby words

manchurian hemorrhagic fever, manciple, mancunian, mandaean, mandaeans, mandala, mandalay, mandamus, mandan, mandarin, mandarin chinese

Origin of mandala

First recorded in 1855–60, mandala is from the Sanskrit word maṇḍala circle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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