Sanskrit

American  

[san-skrit] / ˈsæn skrɪt /

Older Spelling, Sanscrit

noun

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

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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

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Sanskrit Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• Sanskritist noun
• non-Sanskritic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Sanskrit

First recorded in 1610–20; from Sanskrit saṃskṛta “adorned, perfected”; 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

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

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

Lawson and Lal often discussed Gandhi’s conception of ahimsa, the Sanskrit word for nonviolence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2024

The word for “a piece of sugar” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit is khanda, which, as it passed through Persian to Arabic to Europe, became candy.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson