What does yogee mean?
Yogee is a noun meaning a person who practices yoga, especially someone who views yoga as a spiritual discipline rather than simply physical exercise. It is an alternative spelling of the much more familiar yogi, not a term for a different kind of practitioner. The word can be used broadly, but it also occurs in older English and in writing that adopts an Indian or Sanskrit-derived flavor. Because yogi is the usual modern spelling, yogee may sound old-fashioned, literary, or occasionally deliberately exotic. A reader encountering yogee will still understand it immediately as a yoga practitioner or teacher, but should recognize that substituting yogi would usually sound more natural and idiomatic. The term is not restricted to a particular English-speaking region, although its distribution is uneven and its overall frequency is low.
nounA person who practices yoga, especially as a spiritual discipline or way of life. It is an alternative, less common spelling of “yogi.”
- A person who practices yoga, especially as a spiritual discipline or way of life.
"The yogee taught breathing and meditation to a small group of beginners."
"After years of study, she returned home as a qualified yogee and meditation teacher."
"The period novel portrayed the yogee as a spiritual guide whose teachings were misunderstood by his Western companions."
The regular plural is “yogees,” though the word and its plural are now rarely encountered.
"The retreat brought together yogees from several yoga traditions."
Spelled with an extra “e,” yogee preserves the sound of the familiar yogi while giving the word a distinctly old-fashioned flavor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yogee
Yogee is an English variant spelling of yogi. Yogi was borrowed into English through Hindi from Sanskrit yogin, meaning a practitioner of yoga; the related Sanskrit yoga derives from the root yuj, “to yoke” or “join.”
Related word forms
How yogee is actually used
Yogee is uncommon in contemporary English and may sound dated, literary, or deliberately traditional. The standard form “yogi” is overwhelmingly preferred in neutral usage.
Easily confused with yogee
Both words mean a practitioner of yoga, but “yogi” is the standard modern spelling, while “yogee” is an uncommon alternative.