Anekantavada

//ˌɑːneɪkɑːntəˈvɑːdə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The doctrine of many-sidedness, specifically that reality and truth have multiple aspects and demand diverse points of view. Jainism, uncountable

    "And, ultimately, anekantavada was not a doctrine of relativism: the blind men were, in the end, arguing over the same elephant."

Example

More examples

"And, ultimately, anekantavada was not a doctrine of relativism: the blind men were, in the end, arguing over the same elephant."

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit अनेकान्तवाद (an-ekānta-vāda, “scepticism, non-absolutism”), a compound literally meaning "doctrine of non-exclusivity".

Related phrases

many sidedness

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.