Sanskrit

American  

[san-skrit] / ˈsæn skrɪt /

Older Spelling, Sanscrit

noun

Sanskrits plural

1. an Indo-European, Indic language, in use since c1200 b.c. as the religious and classical literary language of India. Skt, Skt., Skr., Skrt

---

adjective

1. Also Sanskritic of or relating to Sanskrit.

Sanskrit British  

/ ˈsænskrɪt /

noun

1. an ancient language of India, the language of the Vedas, of Hinduism, and of an extensive philosophical and scientific literature dating from the beginning of the first millennium _bc. It is the oldest recorded member of the Indic branch of the Indo-European family of languages; recognition of the existence of the Indo-European family arose in the 18th century from a comparison of Sanskrit with Greek and Latin. Although it is used only for religious purposes, it is one of the official languages of India

---

Sanskrit Cultural  

1. The language of ancient India, and one of the oldest languages of the Indo-European family, to which English belongs.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Sanskritist
  noun
• non-Sanskritic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Sanskrits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Sanskrit

First recorded in 1610–20; from Sanskrit saṃskṛta “adorned, perfected”; cf. Prakrit ( def. ), Pali ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does sanskrit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Sanskrit vs. Hindi

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sanskrit Sanskrits

It’s believed to have first appeared in text in the Mahabharata, one of two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

India is also reported to be readying a test-fire of the latest model of the domestically developed ballistic Agni missile -- meaning "fire" in Sanskrit -- capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

He wanted the British to support education in English and cease funding schools that taught in Sanskrit and Arabic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025

The name "Kumbh Mela" translates to "Festival of the Pitcher" in Sanskrit.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025

Finally, in its suffixed form woid-o, it became the Sanskrit word veda.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

In passin' lemme add dat milk is f'm de ol' language used by de Sanskrits, meanin' gin.

From Lady Luck by Wiley, Hugh