sati

1 of 2

noun (1)

sa·​ti

less common spelling of suttee

: the act or custom of a Hindu widow burning herself to death or being burned to death on the funeral pyre of her husband

also : a woman burned to death in this way

suttee

2 of 2

noun (2)

sut·​tee (ˌ)sə-ˈtē 

ˈsə-ˌtē

variants or less commonly sati

: the act or custom of a Hindu widow burning herself to death or being burned to death on the funeral pyre of her husband

also : a woman burned to death in this way

Examples of sati in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Furthermore, the term sati does not necessarily have one stable connotation within the varied and lengthy Buddhist philosophical tradition. —Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026

This, coupled with the practice of sati, in which the widow is expected to throw herself on her husband’s funeral pyre to perish alongside him, are ancient Hindu beliefs that boil down to one thing: A woman’s life is meaningless without a husband. —Radhika Menon, ELLE, 9 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Hindi satī wife who performs suttee, from Sanskrit, devoted woman, from feminine of sat true, good; akin to Old English sōth true — more at sooth

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1786, in the meaning defined above