avatar

noun

av·​a·​tar ˈa-və-ˌtär 

plural avatars

1

: an electronic image (as in a video game) that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user

The average Fortnite player spends hundreds of hours in the game with a personal avatar, fighting with and interacting with the avatars of other players.

—Brian X. Chen

compare non-player character, npc

2

: the incarnation of a Hindu deity (such as Vishnu)

3

a

: an incarnation in human form

b

: an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person

… his series hero is about as pure an avatar of freedom as you will find in modern fiction …

—Sam Leith

4

: a variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity

the latest avatar of the conservative movement

Did you know?

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. These are just some of the elements and environments that video game avatars—the images representing and controlled by players—have faced since the days of Space Invaders, to say nothing of today's Pandora’s box of assorted baddies. Avatar comes from the Sanskrit word avatāraḥ, meaning “descent.” When avatar first appeared in English in the late 18th century, it referred to the descent of a deity to the earth—typically, the incarnation in earthly form of Vishnu or another Hindu deity. It later came to refer to any incarnation in human form, and then to any embodiment (such as the embodiment of a concept or philosophy), whether or not in the form of a person. All of these senses of avatar are still in use today, joined by the more recent computing/gaming sense, which may refer to “you” embodied as a mustachioed Italian plumber, for example, even if you are not, in fact, a mustachioed Italian plumber.

Synonyms of avatar

• manifestation
• image
• icon
• incarnation

Examples of avatar in a Sentence

She has come to be regarded as an avatar of charity and concern for the poor.

She chose a penguin as her personal avatar in the chat room.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the late 19th century, the Devil’s Mile was an avatar of urban development—the site of an elevated train that cut a clamorous swath through the teeming neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan. — J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

In lieu of an interview, Gibney created an unsettling digital avatar of Musk that says things the real Musk actually uttered. — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

The avatar will appear across Instagram, TikTok and X under the handle @HeySerhant, an extension of his main presence that will share lessons learned from decades in real estate. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Claudia, often understood as the avatar for Michele, is the child vampire Louis had to love, lose, and grieve for Rice to attain any kind of catharsis. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit avatāraḥ descent, from avatarati he descends, from ava- away + tarati he crosses over — more at ukase, through entry 1

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for avatar

• abattoir
• alcazar
• autocar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• cinnabar
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar
• isobar

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Kids Definition

avatar

noun

av·​a·​tar ˈa-və-ˌtär 

1

: someone who represents a type of person, an idea, or a quality

2

: an electronic image that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user (as in a game)