Hindu

1 of 2

noun

Hin·​du ˈhin-(ˌ)dü How to pronounce Hindu (audio)
variants or less commonly Hindoo
1
: an adherent of Hinduism
2
: a native or inhabitant of India

Hindu

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly Hindoo
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Hindus or Hinduism

Examples of Hindu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Kabul relies almost entirely on groundwater, replenished by snow and glacier melt from the nearby Hindu Kush mountains. Alysha Bibi, CNN Money, 19 July 2025 The couple tied the knot in a Christian wedding ceremony in December 2018, officiated by the groom’s father at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, with a Hindu ceremony honoring Priyanka's roots the next day. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
Since 2014, India has witnessed a significant political transformation with the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his emphasis on muscular nationalism and Hindu majoritarianism. Sam Dalrymple, Time, 14 July 2025 Presenting as Muslim perhaps exempted him from comparisons to 2020 Democratic Congressional candidate Sri Preston Kulkarni from Texas, who used his polyglot skills to reach a wide array of voters, but was chastised for seemingly pandering to Hindu conservatives. Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for Hindu

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Persian Hindū inhabitant of India, from Hind India

First Known Use

Noun

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hindu was in 1625

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hindu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hindu. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Hindu

noun
Hin·​du
ˈhin-(ˌ)dü
1
: a follower of Hinduism
2
: a person born or living in India
Hindu adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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