Satyagrahas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form of nonviolent resistance or civil disobedience aimed at achieving social or political change through truth and moral persuasion
2. A philosophy of passive resistance emphasizing truth and nonviolence as a means to confront injustice and oppression
3. An approach to activism that advocates for the power of truth to instigate social reform without resorting to violence

Etymology: "Satyagrahas" is the plural of "satyagraha", a noun coined by Mahatma Gandhi for his method of nonviolent resistance. The term combines Sanskrit "satya", meaning truth, with "agraha", meaning persistence or insistence, so it names a firmness grounded in truth rather than force. Gandhi's Gujarati and Hindi usage of the word carried it into English, where it is now applied to any campaign that refuses violence while holding firmly to its cause. Plural forms like this one are used when speaking of several distinct campaigns or instances of the practice, such as separate civil disobedience movements, each called a satyagraha.