tantra

tan·tra
T1A1N1T1R1A1
/ˈtʌntɹə//ˈtɑːntɹə//ˈtæntɹə/

noun

A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.

Similar
Tantrism
OriginSanskrit तन्त्र ← Proto-Indo-European *ten-tlo- /*tn̥-tlo- →
Less commonScrabble 6
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Meanings

tantra1

nountantra (plural tantras)

plural tantras

  1. A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.

Tantra2

proper noun
  1. HinduismBuddhismThe esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed in India from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards.

Synonyms & antonyms

noundoctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the oneness of one's self and the visible world; combines elements of Hinduism and paganism including magical and mystical elements like mantras and mudras and erotic rites; especially influential in Tibet

Similar
Tantrism
Broader
Buddhism
Also see
tantrism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ten-tlo- /*tn̥-tlo-
  2. Sanskritतन्त्र
  3. Englishtantra

From Sanskrit तन्त्र (tantra), from Proto-Indo-European *ten-tlo- /*tn̥-tlo-, from *ten- (“to stretch, extend”) with the suffix *-tlom denoting instruments. Doublet of tar (“string instrument”).

More words from Sanskrit, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali তন্ত্র
  • তন্ত্র (tontro)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Chinese Cantonese 怛特羅 /怛特罗
  • 怛特羅 /怛特罗 (daat³ dak⁶ lo⁴)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Chinese Mandarin 怛特羅 /怛特罗
  • 怛特羅 /怛特罗 (dátèluó)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Finnish tantra
  • tantraHindu or Buddhist religious text
German Tantra
  • TantraHindu or Buddhist religious text
Hindi तन्त्र
  • तन्त्र (tantra)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Japanese タントラ
  • タントラ (tantora)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Korean 탄트라
  • 탄트라 (tanteura)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Polish tantra
  • tantraHindu or Buddhist religious text
Punjabi ਤੰਤਰ
  • ਤੰਤਰ (tantar)Hindu or Buddhist religious text
Turkish tantra
  • tantraHindu or Buddhist religious text
Vietnamese đát-đặc-la
  • đát-đặc-laHindu or Buddhist religious text

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tartanrattan
Cite this entry
APA

tantra. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tantra

MLA

“tantra.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tantra. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tantra,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tantra.

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