Meanings
nounsamsara (countable and uncountable, plural samsaras)
plural samsaras · alternative transliteration saṃsāra · alternative sangsãra
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesIn Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some other eastern religions, the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth endured by human beings and all other mortal beings, and from which release is obtained by achieving the highest enlightenment.
Until we are released from the law of karma and reach moksha or deliverance, we will be in samsara or the time process.
1957, S. Radhakrishnan, C. A. Moore, editors, A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, Princeton Univ. Press, page 38
Origin
- Sanskritसंसार
- Sanskritसंसार
- Englishsamsara
Borrowed from Sanskrit संसार (saṃsāra).
More words from Sanskrit
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bengali সংসার
- সংসার (śoṅśar)cycle of reincarnation
Chinese Cantonese 輪迴 /轮回
- 輪迴 /轮回 (leon⁴ wui⁴)cycle of reincarnation
Chinese Mandarin 輪迴 /轮回
- 輪迴 /轮回 (lúnhuí)cycle of reincarnation
Esperanto sansaro
- sansarocycle of reincarnation
Finnish samsara
- samsaracycle of reincarnation
French samsara, samsâra
- samsaracycle of reincarnation
- samsâracycle of reincarnation
German Samsara
- Samsaracycle of reincarnation
Greek σαμσάρα
- σαμσάρα (samsára)cycle of reincarnation
Hindi संसार
- संसार (sansār)cycle of reincarnation
Hungarian szamszára, szanszára
- szamszáracycle of reincarnation
- szanszáracycle of reincarnation
Irish samsara
- samsaracycle of reincarnation
Japanese 輪廻
- 輪廻 (rinne)cycle of reincarnation
Korean 윤회, 생사유전
- 윤회 (yunhoe)cycle of reincarnation
- 생사유전 (saengsayujeon)cycle of reincarnation
Polish samsara
- samsaracycle of reincarnation
Russian санса́ра, самса́ра
- санса́ра (sansára)cycle of reincarnation
- самса́ра (samsára)cycle of reincarnation
Tamil சம்சாரம், பிறவிச்சுழற்சி
- சம்சாரம் (camcāram)cycle of reincarnation
- பிறவிச்சுழற்சி (piṟaviccuḻaṟci)cycle of reincarnation
Thai สงสาร
- สงสาร (sǒng-sǎan)cycle of reincarnation
Ukrainian санса́ра, самса́ра
- санса́ра (sansára)cycle of reincarnation
- самса́ра (samsára)cycle of reincarnation
Urdu سنسار
- سنسار (sansār)cycle of reincarnation
Vietnamese luân hồi
- luân hồicycle of reincarnation
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
samsara. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samsara
MLA
“samsara.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samsara. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “samsara,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samsara.
Source: samsara on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.