Hindu

1 of 2

noun

Hin·​du ˈhin-(ˌ)dü 

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

Noun

In 2013, pilgrims attending a Hindu festival at a temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh panicked amid fears that a bridge would collapse. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

The Second Battle of Panipat is believed to have occurred on November 5, 1556, and was fought between Mughal ruler Akbar and Hindu minister Hemu. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Usha Chilukuri was born in 1986 to Indian Hindu immigrants and grew up in an upper-middle-class San Diego suburb with her younger sister, Shreya. — Kate Andersen Brower, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026

Sufism was one of the main ways Islam spread in Kashmir, as Sufi teachers expressed Islamic teachings in terms that resonated with Hindu spiritual traditions and local culture. — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing Hindu

• Hindu-Arabic
• Hindu calendar

Rhymes for Hindu

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

Hindu

noun

Hin·​du

ˈhin-(ˌ)dü

1

: a follower of Hinduism

2

: a person born or living in India

Hindu adjective