Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The totality of a person's actions and conduct during successive incarnations, regarded as causally influencing his or her destiny.
  • noun The law or principle through which such influence is believed to operate.
  • noun Fate or destiny resulting from one's previous actions.
  • noun Informal A distinctive aura, atmosphere, or feeling.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In Hindu religion, one's action or acts considered as determining his lot after death and in a following existence; the aggregate of merits and demerits of a sentient being in one of his successive existences.
  • noun In theosophy: The doctrine of fate, destiny, or necessity as an invariable sequence of cause and effect; the theory of inevitable consequence, In the concrete, the result of one's actions; that which happens to one for better or worse, in matters over which one may exercise any choice or volition.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Buddhism, Hinduism) One's acts considered as fixing one's lot in the future existence.
  • noun (Theos.) The doctrine of fate as the inflexible result of cause and effect, especially the principle by which a person is rewarded or punished in a subsequent incarnation for deeds in the previous incarnation; the theory of inevitable consequence.
  • noun One's destiny; fate.
  • noun (Mysticism) The supposed non-physical emanations that a person gives off, which may affect other people; vibrations.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Hinduism, Buddhism The concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian and Nepalese religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called samsara) described in the dharmic traditions, namely: Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies. The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of his existence, regarded as determining his next incarnation.
  • noun A distinctive feeling, aura, or atmosphere.
  • noun The idea that one reaps what one sows; destiny; fate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Sanskrit, deed, action that has consequences, karma; see kwer- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Loan from Sanskrit कर्मन् (kárman, "act, action, performance"), first attested in English in 1827.

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Examples

  • To take one example, only a decade ago, the word karma would have meant little to people on the streets.

    Astrology for Enlightenment Michelle Karén 2008

  • The word karma is derived from the sanskrit kri, meaning“to do.”

    CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE Jennifer Ann Daddio 2003

  • The word karma is derived from the sanskrit kri, meaning“to do.”

    CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE Jennifer Ann Daddio 2003

  • In the absence of any firm religious belief or clear idea of morality, many of the study's subjects have decided that "karma" is the best way to make sense of the universe.

    Education 2009

  • In the absence of any firm religious belief or clear idea of morality, many of the study's subjects have decided that "karma" is the best way to make sense of the universe.

    Pop Culture 2009

  • In the absence of any firm religious belief or clear idea of morality, many of the study's subjects have decided that "karma" is the best way to make sense of the universe.

    Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog 2009

  • In the absence of any firm religious belief or clear idea of morality, many of the study's subjects have decided that "karma" is the best way to make sense of the universe.

    Current Affairs 2009

  • In the absence of any firm religious belief or clear idea of morality, many of the study's subjects have decided that "karma" is the best way to make sense of the universe.

    Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: 2009

  • That kind of karma is helping the Tampa Bay Lightning deliver on coach John Tortorella's guarantee.

    USATODAY.com - Hockey - Tampa Bay vs. Carolina 2006

  • If I am guessing right, this might just end up coming back to me in 'karma' fashion.

    Should I bring them or not? 2004

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