namaste

American  

[nuhm-uh-stey] / ˈnʌm əˌsteɪ /

noun

1. a conventional Hindu expression on meeting or parting, used by the speaker usually while holding the palms together vertically in front of the bosom.

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namaste British  

/ ˌnʌməsˈteɪ /

interjection

1. a salutation used in India

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Usage

What does namaste mean? Namaste is a traditional Hindu greeting said with a hand gesture in which the palms are pressed together at the chest or head, accompanied by a slight bow or arm raise. In the West, it is commonly associated with yoga, and uses of namaste in this context is sometimes accused of being a form of cultural appropriation.

Etymology

Origin of namaste

First recorded in 1945–50; from Sanskrit: “hail,” literally, “(a) bow to thee”

Example Sentences

Witnesses for the prosecution included individual investors who said they followed Left’s views on companies such as Namaste Technologies, the cannabis company that he shorted in 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

"So from the bottom of my heart I love you with everything I have. Namaste everyone, thanks very much."

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

I do not have any wordy signs declaring my philosophy of "Live Laugh Love" or that I "Namaste in Bed;" I own no t-shirt declarations of a "Rosé All Day" ethic.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2021

All four of the Netflix Nigerian original films so far, from Lionheart to the Nollywood-Bollywood mashup Namaste Wahala, were licensed exclusively as such with zero or minimum Netflix involvement in production stages.

From The Verge • Aug. 13, 2021

The flower child gives Ma a half-hearted Namaste.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins