The word Makara can refer to several different things.
- Seven sisters who became the Pleiades (star cluster) in the mythology of some Aboriginal tribes in Australia
- Makara (Hindu mythology), a mythical creature and Varuna's and Ganga's Vahana (mount), in Hinduism
- Capricorn (astrology) in the Hindu calendar
- Makara, New Zealand, a rural locality on the coast of the North Island west of Wellington
- Makara Guardians, a group opposed to wind-farm development at Makara in New Zealand
- "blessed" in Greek. Since many East European people accepted Christianity from the Greeks, many of these peoples have Makara in the root of some names: Makarios (Greeks). The given name Makar gave rise to a number of last names Makarov (Russians), Makarenko (Ukrainians), Makara (Slovaks).
- Universitas Indonesia logo name
- X-Bomber Japanese sci-fi puppet character Commander Makara
- Makara (magazine), a Canadian feminist arts journal, 1975–1978
- Makara (surname), a surname of Brythonic and Goidelic origin.
- Makara (album) is the third studio album released by E.S. Posthumus.
- Makara means "charcoal" in Kikuyu, a Central Kenya local language
- A trademarked name for an Indonesian variety of cinnamon used by Cinnabon.
- In the Khmer language, Makara is the first month of a year, January (Khmer: មករា).