In Hinduism, a swami (Sanskrit: ?????? sv?m? ; sometimes abbreviated sw.), is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into a religious monastic order. The meaning of the Sanskrit root of the word is ' one with his self' (swa stands for 'self'). The term is applied to religious gurus as well as yogis, with or without disciples. The term is also used in Advaita Vedanta. As a direct from of address, or as a stand-in for a swami's name, it is often rendered Swamiji (also Swami-ji or Swami Ji).

The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as:^[3]

Hindi sv?m? 'master, lord, prince', used by Hindus as a term of respectful address, < Sanskrit sv?min in same senses, also the idol or temple of a god.

In Bengali, the word (pronounced [??ami]), while carrying its original meaning, also has the meaning of 'husband' in another context. The word also means 'husband' in Malay, in which it is spelled suami,^[4] and in Khmer and Odiya. The Thai word for 'husband', sami (????), like the Tagalog] word for 'spouse', asawa, are also cognates of the word.