anekantavada

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UK/ˌɑːneɪkɑːntəˈvɑːdə/

noun

The doctrine of many-sidedness, specifically that reality and truth have multiple aspects and demand diverse points of view.

OriginSanskrit अनेकान्तवाद →
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Meanings

nounanekantavada (uncountable)

alternative anekantavad · alternative anekāntavāda

  1. JainismuncountableThe doctrine of many-sidedness, specifically that reality and truth have multiple aspects and demand diverse points of view.

    And, ultimately, anekantavada was not a doctrine of relativism: the blind men were, in the end, arguing over the same elephant.

    2016, Sunil Khilnani, Incarnations, Penguin, published 2017, page 13

Origin

  1. Sanskritअनेकान्तवाद“scepticism, non-absolutism”
  2. Englishanekantavada

Borrowed from Sanskrit अनेकान्तवाद (an-ekānta-vāda, “scepticism, non-absolutism”), a compound literally meaning "doctrine of non-exclusivity".

More words from Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

anekantavada. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anekantavada

MLA

“anekantavada.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anekantavada. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anekantavada,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anekantavada.

Source: anekantavada on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.