Bodhisattva
[ boh-duh-suht-vuh ]
/ ˌboʊ dəˈsʌt və /
See the most commonly confused word associated with bodhisattva
Save This Word!
noun Buddhism.
a person who has attained prajna, or Enlightenment, but who postpones Nirvana in order to help others to attain Enlightenment: individual Bodhisattvas are the subjects of devotion in certain sects and are often represented in painting and sculpture.
COMPARE MEANINGS
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Compare Arhat.
Origin of Bodhisattva
1820–30; <Pali, Sanskrit
Words nearby Bodhisattva
bodgie, Bodgo Gegen, Bodh Gaya, bodhi, Bodhidharma, Bodhisattva, Bodhi Tree, bodhran, bodice, bodice ripper, Bo Diddley beat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use Bodhisattva in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
/ (ˌbəʊdɪˈsætvə, -wə, ˌbɒd-, ˌbəʊdiːˈsʌtvə) /
noun
(in Mahayana Buddhism) a divine being worthy of nirvana who remains on the human plane to help men to salvationCompare arhat
Word Origin for Bodhisattva
Sanskrit, literally: one whose essence is enlightenment, from bodhi enlightenment + sattva essence
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012