karma

noun

kar·​ma ˈkär-mə 

 also  ˈkər-

1

often capitalized : the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence

Each individual is born with karma, the residual from past lives that must be resolved …

—Diane Goldner

broadly : such a force considered as affecting the events of one's life

Claude says, "You reap what you sow." I call this idea karma, that what goes around comes around.

—Anthony Walton

I figured I needed all the good karma I could get if I was serious about winning Noah's heart.

—Robin Palmer

2

: a characteristic emanation, aura, or spirit that infuses or vitalizes someone or something

… he wrote a book entitled Maverick in which he talked about his drug use and his teammates' karma …

—Sam Smith

Graffiti on the walls of trains or subway stations create bad karma.

—Ed Koch

karmic

ˈkär-mik 

 also  ˈkər-

adjective

Synonyms

• aura
• atmosphere

Examples of karma in a Sentence

She believes that helping people produces good karma.

as the site of a string of failed businesses, the building definitely had bad karma

Recent Examples on the Web

The story ties together the karma of these characters with that of the mysterious witness played by Park Hae-soo (Squid Game II, Money Heist II). —Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

So that good karma should be paying off. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025

The lay community provides for monks and temples, in exchange for the spiritual currency of merit, which is believed to turn into good karma. —Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025

This good karma is believed to produce favorable conditions in this life and the next life, such as attaining wealth or being reborn into a privileged family. —Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit karma fate, work

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for karma

• dharma
• pharma