Question

mahatma noun "Mahatma" is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word "mahātman," which literally meant "great-souled." As a general, uncapitalized English noun, "mahatma" can refer to any great person; in India, it is used as a title of love and respect. When capitalized, however, it usually refers to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the great leader who helped guide India to independence in 1947. Renowned for his policy of nonviolent protest, he was widely known as "Mahatma Gandhi" or "the Mahatma." The title was reportedly conferred on him by poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915, but spiritual leader and author Paramahansa Yogananda claimed that Gandhi didn’t embrace it himself. According to Yogananda, Gandhi never referred to himself as "Mahatma," but rather "made some humble, and witty, protests about the title." 1 : a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness2 : a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor

Accepted Answer

December 30, 2010 muh-HAHT-muh Film directors regard Alfred Hitchcock as the mahatma of the suspense thriller and still often borrow his plot devices and filming techniques.  "Vince Lombardi -- one of the Seven Blocks of Granite at Fordham, the coaching saint, the mahatma of Green Bay -- is the subject of a new play, and its producers plan to bring it to Broadway late next year." -- From an article by Richard Sandomir in The New York Times, November 7, 2009

Word	mahatma
Date	December 30, 2010
Type	noun
Syllables	muh-HAHT-muh
Etymology	"Mahatma" is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word "mahātman," which literally meant "great-souled." As a general, uncapitalized English noun, "mahatma" can refer to any great person; in India, it is used as a title of love and respect. When capitalized, however, it usually refers to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the great leader who helped guide India to independence in 1947. Renowned for his policy of nonviolent protest, he was widely known as "Mahatma Gandhi" or "the Mahatma." The title was reportedly conferred on him by poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915, but spiritual leader and author Paramahansa Yogananda claimed that Gandhi didn’t embrace it himself. According to Yogananda, Gandhi never referred to himself as "Mahatma," but rather "made some humble, and witty, protests about the title."
Examples	Film directors regard Alfred Hitchcock as the mahatma of the suspense thriller and still often borrow his plot devices and filming techniques. "Vince Lombardi -- one of the Seven Blocks of Granite at Fordham, the coaching saint, the mahatma of Green Bay -- is the subject of a new play, and its producers plan to bring it to Broadway late next year." -- From an article by Richard Sandomir in The New York Times, November 7, 2009
Definition	1 : a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness 2 : a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor

Mahatma Great Title Leader Gandhi Person December Noun