Prakrit (also transliterated as Pracrit) (Sanskrit: prākṛta प्राकृत, from pra-kṛti प्रकृति, Shauraseni:pāuda पाउद, Telugu:ప్రాకౄత, Maharashtri:pāua पाउअ) is the name for a group of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, derived from dialects of Old Indo-Aryan languages.

Ardhamagadhi language ("half Magadhi"), an archaic form of Magadhi language which was used extensively to write Jain scriptures, is often considered to be the definitive form of Prakrit, while others are considered variants thereof. Prakrit grammarians would give the full grammar of Ardhamagadhi first, and then define the other grammars with relation to it. For this reason, courses teaching "Prakrit" is often regarded as teaching Ardhamagadhi.Pali language (the liturgical Prakrit language of Theravada Buddhism) tends to be treated as a special exception from the variants of Ardhamagadhi language, as Classical Sanskrit grammars do not consider it as a Prakrit per se, presumably for sectarian rather than linguistic reasons. Other Prakrits are reported in old historical sources, but are no longer spoken (such as Paisaci).