Vishnu

American  

[vish-noo] / ˈvɪʃ nu /

noun

Hinduism.

1. (in later Hinduism) “the Preserver,” the second member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer.

2. (in popular Hinduism) a deity believed to have descended from heaven to earth in several incarnations, or avatars, varying in number from nine to twenty-two, but always including animals. His most important human incarnation is the Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita.

3. “the Pervader,” one of a half-dozen solar deities in the Rig-Veda, daily traversing the sky in three strides, morning, afternoon, and night.

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Vishnu British  

/ ˈvɪʃnuː /

noun

1. Hinduism the Pervader or Sustainer: originally a solar deity occupying a secondary place in the Hindu pantheon; later one of the three chief gods, the second member of the Trimurti; and, later still, the saviour appearing in many incarnations

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Vishnu Cultural  

1. A deity of Hinduism, known as the Preserver. According to the Hindus, he has appeared as Krishna and as the Buddha.

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Other Word Forms

• Vishnuism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Vishnu

From the Sanskrit word viṣṇu

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Vishnu

Indian authorities earlier said the Safesea Vishnu, which sails under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked by an unmanned speed boat.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

A Cambodian official responded angrily to the destruction of the statue of the Hindu deity Vishnu, after more than two weeks of military clashes between the neighbours.

From Barron's ● Dec. 25, 2025

From the passenger seat, Vishnu Persaud coaches me on working the clutch: “So you’re going to slide your foot off the pedal. Just let the bottom of your foot pivot off your Achilles’ heel.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025

His father, Vishnu Narlikar, was a professor and mathematician, and mother Sumati was a scholar of the Sanskrit language.

From BBC ● May 23, 2025

I felt like the sage Markandeya, who fell out of Vishnu’s mouth while Vishnu was sleep­ing and so beheld the entire universe, everything that there is.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel