Deva

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A divine being in Hinduism or Buddhism associated with various celestial or spiritual powers
2. An entity in religious traditions representing a god or goddess, often linked to natural forces and the universe
3. A spirit or deity in Eastern religions believed to influence human affairs and embody supernatural qualities

Etymology: Sanskrit "deva" meant "deity" or "god," and its English descendant is a transliteration of that word, so it reached readers as a foreign term rather than through the usual English route of a native or French word. Its close relative "daeva" takes a different path: it came into English from the same Sanskrit root but through Iranian languages, which gave it a sense closer to a demon or evil spirit. The two forms are doublets, separate borrowings of one ancestor that ended up with different meanings. Within Hinduism the term names any of the many divine beings, from the great gods of the pantheon to lesser celestial powers, and the English word keeps that broad sense. Because it stands for a religious category rather than one named figure, it is used as a general term in discussions of the faith.

Synonyms: god, deity

Antonyms: asura, demon