A Maharishi is a Rishi who has mastered many arts and is just before the stage of becoming a Brahmarishi. According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, "Maha" means great and "Rishi" means seer.

The term is technically a title, not a name, yet it is often used in that context. "Maharishi" may refer to any number of individuals who have had the title affixed to their name, such as Shri Ramana Maharshi, an Advaita Vedanta sage of South India, or Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation.