Standard Lemma guide

arhat

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈɑː(ɹ)hæt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Buddhism, lifestyle, religion

Examples

  • 1954: Over and against the arhat, retreating from appearances into an entirely transcendental Nirvana, stands the Bodhisattva, for whom Suchness and the world of contingencies are one — Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception (Chatto & Windus 1954, p. 32)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One of the stages of the ascetic's spiritual evolution, when all passions (anger, ego, deception, greed, attachment, hatred and ignorance) are destroyed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Jainism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arhanta

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a Buddhist who has attained nirvana

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Arhant, lohan

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deity, divinity, god, immortal

History

Etymology

Transliteration of Sanskrit अर्हत् (arhat, “worthy of worship”), used as a title for sanctified Buddhists. Doublet of arahant and arihant.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: অর্হৎ (orhot) — a Buddhist saint
  • Bengali: অর্হত (orhot) — a Buddhist saint
  • Burmese: ရဟန္တာ (ra.hanta) — a Buddhist saint
  • Chinese Mandarin: 阿羅漢 /阿罗汉 (āluóhàn) — a Buddhist saint
  • Hindi: अर्हन्त (arhant) — a Buddhist saint
  • Hindi: अरहन्त (arhant) — a Buddhist saint
  • Hindi: अरिहंत (arihant) — a Buddhist saint
  • Hindi: अर्हत (arhat) — a Buddhist saint
  • Indonesian: arahat — a Buddhist saint
  • Japanese: 阿羅漢 (arakan) — a Buddhist saint
  • Khmer: អរហន្ត (ʼârôhntâ) — a Buddhist saint
  • Korean: 아라한 (arahan) — a Buddhist saint
  • Marathi: अर्हत (arhat) — a Buddhist saint
  • Polish: arhant — a Buddhist saint
  • Polish: arhat — a Buddhist saint
  • Portuguese: arhat — a Buddhist saint
  • Russian: арха́т (arxát) — a Buddhist saint
  • Sinhalese: අරහත් (arahat) — a Buddhist saint
  • Tamil: அருகதர் (arukatar) — a Buddhist saint
  • Thai: พระอรหันต — a Buddhist saint
  • Tibetan: དགྲ་བཅོམ་པ (dgra bcom pa) — a Buddhist saint
  • Urdu: ارہنت (arhant) — a Buddhist saint
  • Vietnamese: A-la-hán — a Buddhist saint
  • Vietnamese: la hán — a Buddhist saint