What does "atman" mean?

The true self of an individual beyond identification with worldly phenomena, the essence of an individual, an infinitesimal part of Brahman.

What is a synonym for "atman"?

Common synonyms include: anima, anima humana, animating force, astral body, ba, bathmism.

//ˈɑːtman// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·College level

Noun

1
The true self of an individual beyond identification with worldly phenomena, the essence of an individual, an infinitesimal part of Brahman. Hinduism, Jainism
"However, we have been led beyond this to a threefold analysis which in its western version is body-soul-spirit and in its eastern version body-mind-atman."
2
Alternative form of atman. alt-of, alternative

"Siddhartha already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with the universe."

From Sanskrit आत्मन् (ātmán, “soul; self; ego; essence”). Doublet of edder (“blood vessel”) and cognate with Old English ǣþm (“breath”).

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