The Buddha

Cultural

A prince, originally named Gautama, who lived in India several hundred years before Jesus. After years of solitary contemplation, he began to teach a religion of self-denial and universal brotherhood. (See Buddhism.)

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 Buddha -- who renounced material wealth to embrace and preach a life of non-attachment -- founded a religion that now has more than 500 million adherents.

From Barron's • Jan. 3, 2026

The Buddha survived, but the coral tree that shaded it was gone.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

The Buddha suggests that we work with the fundamental dissatisfaction we feel by releasing craving, and attuning to the sensory richness of the present moment.

From Slate • Aug. 3, 2024

The Buddha of the Multiplex, or maybe just The One.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

Yes, it was he, and they followed him and watched him The Buddha went quietly on his way, lost in thought His peaceful countenance was neither happy nor sad.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023