brahman

Other forms: brahmans

A member of the highest social class in Hinduism is a brahman. The earliest brahmans were priests.

For centuries on the Indian subcontinent, being born a brahman meant occupying a prestigious place in society. There was also religious significance to being a member of this elite caste, since brahmans were considered to be spiritually pure. In fact, for much of India's history, only brahmans were allowed to read and study religious scriptures. Brahman comes from Sanskrit, in which it means "prayer" or "the universal soul."

Definitions of brahman

1. noun

   the highest of the four varnas: the priestly or sacerdotal category
   synonyms: brahmin

   type of:

   varna

   (Hinduism) the name for the original social division of Vedic people into four groups (which are subdivided into thousands of jatis)
2. noun

   a member of the highest of the four Hindu varnas
   “originally all brahmans were priests”

   synonyms: brahmin

   types:

   smarta

   one of a group of brahmans who uphold nonsectarian orthodoxy according to the Vedanta school of Hinduism

   type of:

   Hindoo, Hindu, Hindustani

   a native or inhabitant of Hindustan or India
3. noun

   a member of a social and cultural elite (especially a descendant of an old New England family)
   “a Boston brahman”

   synonyms: brahmin

   type of:

   aristocrat, blue blood, patrician

   a member of the aristocracy