karma

noun kar·ma \ ˈkär-mə also ˈkər- \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of karma

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

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

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karmic

play \ˈkär-mik also ˈkər-\ adjective

See karma defined for English-language learners

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 of karma from the Web

In winning the Blue Grass Stakes, Good Magic has qualified for bad karma. Keeneland’s showcase race has lately had about as much bearing on the Kentucky Derby as have lawn jockeys and horseflies.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Curb your Good Magic enthusiasm. Lately, Blue Grass entrants don't fare well at Kentucky Derby," 7 Apr. 2018
The bad karma bracket Mid-American Conference Tournament champion Buffalo thrashed Arizona, 89-68.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Mad, Mad March: Retrievers and other underdogs have their day -- Bill Livingston," 19 Mar. 2018
Even as Thursday’s game turned the club’s 2017 karma on its head, there were some eerie similarities with last year’s season opener.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: Orioles' dramatic Opening Day victory delivers microcosm of 2017 season in reverse," 30 Mar. 2018
In a remarkable twist of karma, health care could defeat Republicans at the polls this November.

— dylan scott, Vox, "Health care is Democrats’ secret weapon in the 2018 midterm elections," 22 Mar. 2018
Still, a handful of teams that earned top-four seeds in their respective regions reside in the Danger Zone, with some fatal flaw, nightmare matchup or bad karma looming that could thwart their Sweet 16 hopes.

— eric single, SI.com, "Six Top-Seeded Teams in the Most Danger of Losing Early in the 2018 NCAA Tournament," 13 Mar. 2018
One way to build up good karma for that future downturn is to keep pushing leverage lower, and Rio is doing a good job there too: Its net debt fell by another $2 billion in the first half.

— nathaniel taplin, WSJ, "Rio Tinto Can’t Just Mine the Current Rich Vein Forever," 2 Aug. 2017
Some subreddits require posters to have a minimum karma score.

— issie lapowsky, WIRED, "Russian Propaganda Remains on Reddit," 9 Mar. 2018
In the strange calculus and karma of Silicon Valley, if Medium comes anywhere close to Twitter’s success, Greylock’s investment in Digg still might pay off.

— katrina brooker, Newsweek, "How Greylock Partners Finds the Next Facebook," 4 June 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'karma.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of karma

Sanskrit karma fate, work

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1827

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

karma Synonyms

Synonyms

air, ambience (or ambiance), aroma, atmosphere, aura, climate, flavor, halo, mood, note, odor, patina, smell, temper, vibration(s);

Related Words

mystique, romance;

feel, feeling, sensation, sense, spirit;

attribute, character, characteristic, image, mark, notion, peculiarity, picture, property, trait;

color, illusion, overtone, semblance, suggestion, tone;

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, koan, mantra

KARMA Defined for English Language Learners

karma

noun

Definition of karma for English Language Learners

: the force created by a person's actions that is believed in Hinduism and Buddhism to determine what that person's next life will be like
: the force created by a person's actions that some people believe causes good or bad things to happen to that person