yoga

American  

[yoh-guh] / ˈjoʊ gə /

Or Yoga

noun

1. a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

2. any or all of the methods or disciplines prescribed in the Hindu philosophical school of yoga, especially a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve tranquility, control of the body and mind, etc.

3. union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

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yoga British  

/ ˈjəʊɡɪk, ˈjəʊɡə /

noun

1. a Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being in a state of complete awareness and tranquillity through certain physical and mental exercises

2. any method by which such awareness and tranquillity are attained, esp a course of related exercises and postures designed to promote physical and spiritual wellbeing See Astanga yoga Bikram yoga hatha yoga power yoga raja yoga Sivananda yoga

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yoga Cultural  

1. In Hinduism, a set of mental and physical exercises aimed at producing spiritual enlightenment.

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Other Word Forms

• yogism
  noun
• yogic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of yoga

First recorded in 1780–90 from Sanskrit: literally, “act of yoking or joining; yoked team; employment”; see origin at yoke ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Yoga is an ancient form of physical and mental exercise that is still popular today. It involves lots of stretching and holding poses with funny names, like "downward dog." The kind of yoga that most westerners practice is based on "hatha yoga," the most familiar part of a complex Hindu system of meditation and spiritual practice. Yoga is an extremely popular form of exercise today, but it's been around for centuries. The word yoga was first used in English around 1820, when western intellectuals were first becoming interested in Hindu philosophy — it's a Sanskrit word that means "union."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yoga

Please don’t expect me to laugh at the goats from goat yoga rampaging through a hotel lobby or a high-speed golf cart chase.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Some tricks to relieve stress: From the archives, yoga teacher Sara Pam Neufeld shares a workout that takes seconds—and could actually improve your quality of life.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

For days when Usher needs to blow off some steam, he need only head to the basketball court or the custom yoga deck.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Nobody was wearing yoga pants. It was very elegant,” said Buchanan, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

She was wearing the same light-blue tee shirt and black yoga pants that she'd been in the last time Hazel saw her, but they were now faded and frayed.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu