Everyday · Philosophy & belief · Borrowed words
Karma: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Karma noun. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the principle that a person's actions decide their future fate, in this life or the next.
How to say it
KAR-muh/ˈkɑːmə/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (KAR).
Meanings
- In Hinduism and Buddhism, the principle that a person's actions decide their future fate, in this life or the next.
- Informally, the idea that good or bad deeds come back to the doer.
Karma in a sentence
He let a lorry merge ahead of him, hoping the karma would earn him a parking space.
In Buddhist teaching, karma is less a punishment than the natural fruit of one's actions.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- fate
- destiny
- just deserts
Where karma comes from
From Sanskrit karman, action or deed.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
In Buddhist teaching, _____ is less a punishment than the natural fruit of one's actions.
- karma
- heresy
- dogma
Show the answer
karma: In Buddhist teaching, karma is less a punishment than the natural fruit of one's actions.