Definition of "dharma" [dharma]

• Hinduism & Buddhism The principle or law that orders the universe. (noun)
• Hinduism & Buddhism Individual conduct in conformity with this principle. (noun)
• Hinduism & Buddhism The essential function or nature of a thing. (noun)
• Hinduism Individual obligation with respect to caste, social custom, civil law, and sacred law. (noun)
• Buddhism The body of teachings expounded by the Buddha. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In both languages, they translated the term dharma with the Greek loan word nom, originally meaning “law.”"
• "The word "dharma" has multiple meanings depending on the context in which it is used."
• "He looks for answers in dharma, the moral law that sustains society, the individual and the world."