Glossary: Avatar

An avatar is an object representing the user. The term "avatar" can also refer to the personality connected with the screen name, or handle, of an Internet user.

In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity from heaven to earth - a manifestation of a deity from a heavenly dimension in this one.

In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user (or the user's altr ego or character) - a manifestation of a person from this dimension in the cyberworld.

It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities.