SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

brahmacharya

noun
Save Word
brah·​ma·​char·​ya | \ -ryə \
plural -s

Definition of brahmacharya

India
: the state of celibate student life : the initial stage of the Brahmanic ashramas

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for brahmacharya

Sanskrit brahmacarya, from brahman prayer + carya conduct, from carati

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about brahmacharya

Statistics for brahmacharya

Cite this Entry

“Brahmacharya.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brahmacharya. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

Comments on brahmacharya

What made you want to look up brahmacharya? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

gazette

Listen to the pronunciation of gazette

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

February 2021 Words of the Day Quiz

  • squirrel in winter
  • Which is a synonym of perdure?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Typeshift

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games