mandala

play

noun man·da·la \ˈmən-də-lə\

Definition of mandala

1 : a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe; specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation
2 : a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image

mandalic

play \ˌmən-ˈda-lik\ adjective

Recent Examples of mandala from the Web

For my recent birthday, my best childhood girlfriends created a mandala for me out of wildflowers after a hike to the beach.

— christina pérez, Vogue, "Lily Kwong Used 13,000 Flowers to Transform New York’s High Line Into a Hanging Garden of Delights", 22 June 2017
The studio and gallery will showcase Rodriguez's brightly colored artwork, ranging from layered abstracts to reflections of contemplation to studies of butterflies and bugs, mandalas and more.

— sarah bonnette, NOLA.com, "World-traveling artist opens studio and gallery in Covington", 26 May 2017
Two girls, both under 5, began arranging the fruit into an elaborate mandala atop a wooden tray.

— alice gregory, New York Times, "Running Free in Germany’s Outdoor Preschools", 18 May 2017
Artists like Samten use colored sands to create the mandalas, which serve as symbolic diagrams that represent the universe and are used as meditation tools.

— chris fuchs, NBC News, "Philadelphia Buddhist Center Finds Permanent Home After Quarter Century", 17 May 2017
A blast of spices marks the pickled cucumbers boiling in a pot of curry on their way to being stuffed with ground beef and rice, similar to the the mandala-like plates of yaprak, rice-and-beef stuffed rolled grape leaves.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "Syrian refugees will cook for you and tell their stories at a monthly supper club", 6 May 2017
Rodriguez, known for hanging mandalas, pictures and creating shrines as decorations during his dance parties, said his Dumpster piece incorporates all of that.

— jessica hice, sacbee, "Colorful mural on trash container dresses up slice of midtown", 5 May 2017
Near the center of a large, faraway disk resembling a celestial mandala, a young planet is in the process of being born.

— National Geographic, "Surprising Picture Shows Planet Forming 450 Light-Years Away", 18 Mar. 2016
Oily Doily by Aric Obrosey is a mandala composed of the unauthorized combination of three logos of large oil corporations that was created as a criticism of the oil industry's toll on the environment.

— danit lidor, WIRED, "Artists Just Wanna Be Free", 7 July 2003

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