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

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Etymology

Origin of Vishnu

From the Sanskrit word viṣṇu

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Vishnu

It was here that archaeologists unearthed the largest bronze statue ever found in Cambodia, "Reclining Vishnu", which is now touring the world.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 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

The final room highlights a single, colossal Reclining Vishnu statue from the second half of the 11th century.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

Back in the 1990s, only two or three people a week visited what was then a little-known place of worship to Lord Balaji, a local incarnation of the Hindu god Lord Vishnu.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2025

I also don’t think Papa is Vishnu after all.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

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