brahmin

B3R1A1H4M3I1N1
/ˈbɹɑːmɪn/

noun

A member of the Hindu priestly caste, one of the four varnas or social groups based on occupation in ancient Hindu society.

UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

brahmin1

nounbrahmin (plural brahmins)

plural brahmins · alternative Brahmin · alternative brahman · alternative dated Bramin

  1. A member of the Hindu priestly caste, one of the four varnas or social groups based on occupation in ancient Hindu society.

    Synonyms: brahmana

  2. One who has realized or attempts to realize Brahman, i.e. God or supreme knowledge.
  3. New EnglandUScapitalizedespeciallyA member of a social and cultural elite, especially in the New England region of the USA.

    Branching from the root of it all was New England Society. The original Nelson [W. Aldrich] became remembered as a patrician, a Brahmin.

    1988 July 31, Jane O'Reilly, “Even Brahmins Get The Blues”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2022
    1 more example

    In Iran-Contra, the independent counsel investigating the scandal, Lawrence Walsh, was a deadly serious Brahmin lawyer with a sterling Republican pedigree; he nevertheless faced withering criticism from members of his own party, just as special counsel Robert Mueller has as he investigates Trump and his circle.

    2018, Zach Dorfman, “How to Kill a Presidential Scandal”, in Foreign Policy, archived from the original on 16 Aug 2018
  4. A learned person of refined taste and mild manners.
adjectivebrahmin (not comparable)

alternative Brahmin · alternative brahman · alternative dated Bramin

  1. not comparableScholarly.

    Synonyms: brahminic, brahminical

Brahmin2

nounBrahmin (plural Brahmins)

plural Brahmins

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of brahmin.
proper noun
  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of Brahman.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of the Hindu priestly caste, one of the four varnas or social groups based on occupation in ancient Hindu society.

Similar

adjectiveScholarly.

More synonyms by meaning

nounany of several breeds of Indian cattle; especially a large American heat and tick resistant greyish humped breed evolved in the Gulf States by interbreeding Indian cattle and now used chiefly for crossbreeding

Similar
BrahmanBrahmaBos indicus
Broader

nouna member of a social and cultural elite (especially a descendant of an old New England family)

Similar

nouna member of the highest of the four Hindu varnas

Similar

nounthe highest of the four varnas: the priestly or sacerdotal category

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Sanskritब्राह्मण
  2. Portuguesebramine
  3. Middle Frenchbramine
  4. Englishbrahmin

Borrowed from Middle French bramine, from obsolete Portuguese bramine, from Sanskrit ब्राह्मण (brā́hmaṇa); modern French brahmane, Portuguese brâmane are readjusted after Sanskrit. Doublet of Brahmana.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بِرَهْمَن
  • بِرَهْمَن (birahman)caste
Bengali ব্রাহ্মণ
  • ব্রাহ্মণ (brahmon)caste
Chinese Mandarin 婆羅門 /婆罗门, 梵志
  • 婆羅門 /婆罗门 (póluómén)caste
  • 梵志 (fànzhì)caste
  • 婆罗门教 (póluóménjiào)believer in Brahman
Esperanto bramano
  • bramanocaste
Finnish brahmaani, brahmalainen
  • brahmaanicaste
  • brahmalainenbeliever in Brahman
  • brahmalainenof or relating to brahmins
French brahmane
  • brahmanecaste
German Brahmane
  • Brahmanecaste
Greek βραχμάνος
  • βραχμάνος (vrachmános)caste
Hindi ब्राह्मण
  • ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇ)caste
Indonesian brahmana
  • brahmanacaste
Irish Bráman, Bráman
  • Brámancaste
  • Brámanbeliever in Brahman
Italian bramino
  • braminobeliever in Brahman
Japanese 婆羅門, ブラフミン
  • 婆羅門 (baramon)caste
  • ブラフミン (burafumin)caste
Korean 브라만, 바라문
  • 브라만 (beuraman)caste
  • 바라문 (baramun)caste
Persian برهمن, برهمین
  • برهمن (barahman)caste
  • برهمین (barahmin)caste
Portuguese brâmane
  • brâmanecaste
Punjabi ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ, ਪੰਮਾ
  • ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ (brāhmaṇ)caste
  • ਪੰਮਾ (pammā)caste
Russian брахма́н, брами́н
  • брахма́н (braxmán)caste
  • брами́н (bramín)caste
  • брахма́н (braxmán)believer in Brahman
  • брами́н (bramín)believer in Brahman
Spanish brahmán
  • brahmáncaste
Tagalog Braman
  • Bramanbeliever in Brahman
Tamil அந்தணன், பிராமணன்
  • அந்தணன் (antaṇaṉ)caste
  • பிராமணன் (pirāmaṇaṉ)caste
  • பார்ப்பான் (pārppāṉ)caste
Thai พราหมณ์
  • พราหมณ์ (praam)caste
Ukrainian брахма́н
  • брахма́н (braxmán)caste
Urdu براہمن, برہمن
  • براہمن (brāhmaṇ)caste
  • برہمن (brahmaṇ)caste
Vietnamese Bà La Môn
  • Bà La Môncaste
Cite this entry
APA

brahmin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brahmin

MLA

“brahmin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brahmin. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brahmin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brahmin.

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