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Marathi

American  
[muh-rah-tee, -rat-ee] / məˈrɑ ti, -ˈræt i /

noun

  1. an Indic language of western and central India: the principal language of the state of Maharashtra.


Marathi British  
/ məˈrɑːtɪ /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Maharashtra state in India, its people, or their language

"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

noun

  1. the state language of Maharashtra, belonging to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family

"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

Usage

What does Marathi mean? Marathi is a language spoken mainly in Maharashtra, a state in the Republic of India, a southern Asian country.Marathi is a member of the Indic family of languages, which includes languages spoken in Northern India, such as Hindi and Bengali.Marathi is the state language of Maharashtra, a central-western Indian state. Nearly all of the world’s speakers of Marathi live in Maharashtra and its neighboring states or are Maharashtrian immigrants who moved elsewhere, such as to the island of Mauritius.

Etymology

Origin of Marathi

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Digvijay Patil, a PhD student in archeology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune, noticed repeated mentions of unusual plants while studying Sanskrit and Marathi texts related to sacred sites.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2026

The research team began reviewing folk songs, poems, and myths written or performed in Marathi, some dating back to the 13th century.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2026

"The issue of Marathi language and culture is close to peoples' hearts," says Prashant Dixit, a former political journalist who has reported on the state for over two decades.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2025

"These sandals are made with the hard work of leather workers in Kolhapur. They should be named after Kolhapur. Don't take advantage of others' labour," Prabha Satpute, a Kolhapuri artisan, told BBC Marathi.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025

In it, he proceeded to say that the new newspaper would convey the views of the Marathi Gomantak in English.

From Behind the News: Voices from Goa's Press by Various