Sutra

//ˈsuːtɹə// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A rule or thesis in Sanskrit grammar or Hindu law or philosophy.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of sutra. alt-of, alternative
  3. 3
    a rule or aphorism in Sanskrit literature or a group of aphoristic doctrinal summaries prepared for memorization wordnet
  4. 4
    A scriptural narrative, especially a discourse of the Buddha. Hinduism

    "Shepard: This Code of the Justicar seems central to your life. Samara: It is five thousand sutras, and covers every situation one can encounter. I have memorized every word. There is only the Code."

Synonyms

All synonyms
adageanaanalectsaphorismapothegmaxiom

Example

More examples

"Christopher Columbus's secret love letters to Queen Isabella - undiscovered for centuries - have been rumored to rival, if not surpass, the Kama Sutra."

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit सूत्र (sū́tra, “thread, yarn, string; rule”). Doublet of sutta; more distantly related to sew and suture.

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