Buddha

American  

[boo-duh, bood-uh] / ˈbu də, ˈbʊd ə /

noun

1. Also called Gautama.  Also called Butsu.  Also called Goutama Buddha.  Also called Goutama.  Also called Gautama Buddha,.  Prince Siddhāttha or Siddhartha, 566?–c480 b.c., Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism.

2. any of a series of teachers in Buddhism, of whom Gautama was the last, who bring enlightenment and wisdom.

3. (sometimes lowercase) a person who has attained full prajna, or enlightenment; Arhat.

---

buddha ¹ British  

/ ˈbʊdə /

noun

1. Buddhism (often capital) a person who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment

2. an image or picture of the Buddha

---

Buddha ² British  

/ ˈbʊdə /

noun

1. ?563–483 _bc , a title applied to Gautama Siddhartha, a nobleman and religious teacher of N India, regarded by his followers as the most recent rediscoverer of the path to enlightenment: the founder of Buddhism

---

Etymology

Origin of Buddha

First recorded in 1675–85; from Sanskrit: “awakened” ( budh- “awaken, notice, understand” + -ta past participle suffix)

Compare meaning

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

• Bodhisattva vs. Buddha

Example Sentences

The city grabbed international attention in 2001, when the Sunni Pashtun Taliban authorities destroyed two large Buddha statues cherished by the predominantly Shia Hazara community in the region.

From Barron's

Following the incident, Bristol City Council released images of an elephant carved in ivory, an ivory statue of the Buddha, a ship lantern and an Emancipation token.

From BBC

In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.

From Barron's

Try swapping lime for lemon, orange, yuzu, or even Buddha’s hand.

From Salon

Sacred ancient gems linked to the Buddha were unveiled on Saturday in India for the first time since their colonial-era removal.

From Barron's