karma
/ˈkɐɾ.mɑː/ noun, proper noun
Forms karmas
- noun (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism) The sum total of a person's actions, which determine the person's next incarnation in samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth.
- noun A force or law of nature which causes one to reap what one sows; destiny; fate.
- noun (uncommon) A distinctive feeling, aura, or atmosphere.
- noun (Internet) A score assigned to a user or post on some discussion forums, indicating popularity or perceived value.
- proper noun A female given name.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit कर्म (kárma), nom.sg. of कर्मन् (kárman, “act, action, performance”); first attested in English in 1785 in a translation of the Bhagavad Gita by Charles Wilkins.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One's acts considered as fixing one's lot in the future existence. (Theos.) The doctrine of fate as the inflexible result of cause and effect; the theory of inevitable consequence.
Etymology [Skr.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “karma”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details