Hindu

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hindu

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun and adjective

Pronunciation

HIN-doo  /ˈhɪnduː/

Definition

As a noun: a follower of Hinduism — the predominant religious and philosophical tradition of the Indian subcontinent. As an adjective: relating to Hinduism or its adherents.

Plain meaning

Hindu refers to a person who follows Hinduism — the diverse family of religious and philosophical traditions that originated on the Indian subcontinent, encompassing beliefs ranging from monotheism to polytheism to non-theism. Hinduism is the world's oldest living major religion and third largest by number of followers.

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Neutral and widely used. Hindu is the standard English term for a follower of Hinduism and is used in religious, academic, journalistic, and everyday contexts. It is important to distinguish Hindu (a religious or cultural identity) from Indian (a national identity), as not all Indians are Hindu and not all Hindus are Indian.