nirvana

American  

[nir-vah-nuh, -van-uh, ner-] / nɪrˈvɑ nə, -ˈvæn ə, nər- /

noun

1. Pali nibbana.  (often initial capital letter) freedom from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations, with their consequent suffering, as a result of the extinction of individual passion, hatred, and delusion: attained by the Arhat as his goal but postponed by the Bodhisattva.

2. (often initial capital letter) salvation through the union of Atman with Brahma; moksha.

3. a place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world.

---

nirvana British  

/ nɜː-, nɪəˈvɑːnə /

noun

1. Buddhism Hinduism final release from the cycle of reincarnation attained by extinction of all desires and individual existence, culminating (in Buddhism) in absolute blessedness, or (in Hinduism) in absorption into Brahman

---

nirvana Cultural  

1. In Buddhism, the highest state of consciousness, in which the soul is freed from all desires and attachments. Nirvana is sometimes inaccurately used as a synonym for heaven or paradise.

---

Other Word Forms

• nirvanic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of nirvana

First recorded in 1830–40, nirvana is from the Sanskrit word nirvāṇa

Compare meaning

How does nirvana compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• moksha vs. nirvana

Explanation

Nirvana is a place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. In Buddhism, nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away. The origin of the word nirvana relates to religious enlightenment; it comes from the Sanskrit meaning "extinction, disappearance" of the individual to the universal. Achieving nirvana is to make earthly feelings like suffering and desire disappear. It's often used casually to mean any place of happiness, like if you love chocolate, going to Hershey's Park would be nirvana. On the other hand, if you're a Buddhist monk, it may take you years of meditating to reach nirvana.

Example Sentences

Alternative rockers like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day began channeling the band’s signature blend of melody and crunchy guitars.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Those round down to what we call Nirvana readings—i.e., the low unemployment level of 4.0% and the Fed’s inflation target of 2.0%.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

“Frampton Comes Alive!” inspired a generation of arena-rock artists, including Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Alice in Chains.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

They have been described as the band that made an art of being obscure and who inspired the likes of David Bowie, Nirvana and the Arctic Monkeys.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Never, since the time our Illustrious Gotama passed ^ into Nirvana, have I ever met a man with the exception of Siddhartha about whom I felt: This is a holy man!

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Related Words

• heaven