bodhi
Americannoun
Usage
What is Bodhi Day?
Bodhi Day is a Buddhist holiday commemorating the day on which Buddhists believe the Buddha gained enlightenment. The word bodhi means enlightenment.
Different Buddhists commemorate Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment on different days and in different ways, with some celebrating his birth, enlightenment, and death all on the same day. In Japan, the day commemorating his enlightenment is called Rohatsu.
Bodhi Day is often observed with special services at Buddhist temples. Some Buddhists commemorate the event by meditating, studying dharma, or having tea ceremonies with cake.Etymology
Origin of bodhi
< Pali, Sanskrit
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The birth of his son, Bodhi, should have been a joyous event.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Danielle Arme, who lived in Chellaston, Derby, at the time, said Bodhi had disappeared in July 2021 and she had "lost hope" of finding him as time passed.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
“He’s not your typical teenage actor,” said Hudson, who shares Wilder, 15-year-old son Bodhi and 12-year-old daughter Rio with wife Erinn Bartlett.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
A Bodhi tree might signal the sacred place where Buddha’s deep insight into enlightenment occurred, or a drawn or carved footprint would be suggestive of following a path.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025
The custom of planting a Bodhi tree wherever Buddhist missionaries established their doctrine indicates its association with the idea of an established centre.
From The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations by Nuttall, Zelia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
