Nirankar (Punjabi: ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ, lit. 'formless'[1]) is one of the many attributes associated to God in Sikhism and means The Formless One.
The word has its roots in the Sanskrit word nirākārā (Sanskrit: ਨਿਰਾਕਾਰਾ/निराकारा) and is a compound of two words: Nir meaning "without" and Akar (or Akaar), "shape" or "form"; hence, The Formless.[2]
The term is used as one of the names of God by Sikhs.[3]
It finds usage in the Guru Granth Sahib:
ਸਚ ਖੰਡਿ ਵਸੈ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ॥
सच खंडि वसै निरंकारु ॥
Sacẖ kẖand vasai nirankār.
In the realm of Truth abides the Formless Lord.
— SGGS. Pg 8
The words is sometime conjoined with other terms. Some examples are below:
The term was first used to describe the divine by Guru Nanak.[1] The name later would become the namesake of the Nirankari sect founded by Baba Dayal Singh.[1]