Buddhism

American  

[boo-diz-uhm, bood-iz-] / ˈbu dɪz əm, ˈbʊd ɪz- /

noun

1. a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China, Myanmar (Burma), Japan, Tibet, and parts of Southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject.

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Buddhism British  

/ ˈbʊdɪzəm /

noun

1. a religious teaching propagated by the Buddha and his followers, which declares that by destroying greed, hatred, and delusion, which are the causes of all suffering, man can attain perfect enlightenment See nirvana

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Buddhism Cultural  

1. A religion, founded by the Buddha, that emphasizes physical and spiritual discipline as a means of liberation from the physical world. The goal for the Buddhist is to attain nirvana, a state of complete peace in which one is free from the distractions of desire and self-consciousness. Buddhists are found in the greatest numbers in eastern Asia.

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Other Word Forms

• Buddhist adjective
• Buddhistic adjective
• Buddhistical adjective
• Buddhistically adverb
• anti-Buddhist adjective
• non-Buddhist adjective
• non-Buddhistic adjective
• pre-Buddhist adjective
• pro-Buddhist adjective
• pseudo-Buddhist adjective

Etymology

Origin of Buddhism

Buddh(a) + -ism

Compare meaning

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

• Zen Buddhism vs. Buddhism

Example Sentences

Artist Matthew Thomas shows how the traditions of Buddhism and Black American abstraction both provide a sense of freedom and agility of faith.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

As “True Nature” illustrates, “The Snow Leopard” differs from Matthiessen’s previous nonfiction because it melds science with a spiritual quest, incorporating the author’s newfound zeal for Zen Buddhism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

If you read “The Scripture of the Golden Eternity,” you really see how much he was impacted and inspired by Buddhism and how much he actually understood the teachings.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2025

Press materials for “Dharma” suggest it’s a thematic package, with the exhibition as a means to learn about Buddhism.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

A koan is like a riddle that’s supposed to help you toward enlightenment in Zen Buddhism.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green