arhatship
|ar-hat-ship|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑrˌhætʃɪp/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːˌhætʃɪp/
state of being an arhat
Etymology
'arhatship' originates from Sanskrit and Pali, specifically the word 'arhat' (Pali 'arahant'), where the root 'arh' meant 'worthy' or 'deserving'.
'arhatship' developed from Pali 'arahant' to Sanskrit 'arhat', which was adopted into modern English as 'arhat' in the 19th century; English then formed the derivative 'arhatship' using the native suffix '-ship' to denote a state or condition.
Initially the root referred to being 'worthy' or 'deserving'; in Buddhist usage it came to mean 'one who has attained enlightenment', and 'arhatship' denotes the state or office of being such a person.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or condition of being an arhat (a person who has attained nirvana or spiritual liberation in Buddhism).
After years of strict practice he claimed to have attained arhatship.
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Noun 2
(Rare, figurative) The status, dignity, or recognition accorded to someone regarded as spiritually perfected or venerable.
The scholar's writings won him a kind of arhatship among his followers.
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Last updated: 2025/10/13 10:46