Sanskrit

or San·scrit

[ san-skrit ]
/ ˈsæn skrɪt /

noun

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

adjective

Also San·skrit·ic, San·scrit·ic. of or relating to Sanskrit.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Sanskrit

First recorded in 1610–20, Sanskrit is from the Sanskrit word saṃskṛta adorned, perfected

OTHER WORDS FROM Sanskrit

San·skrit·ist, San·scrit·ist, nounnon-San·skrit·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sanskrit

British Dictionary definitions for sanskrit

Sanskrit
/ (ˈsænskrɪt) /

noun

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

Derived forms of Sanskrit

Sanskritist, noun

Word Origin for Sanskrit

C17: from Sanskrit samskrta perfected, literally: put together
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

Cultural definitions for sanskrit

Sanskrit

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.