bodhisattva

noun

bo·​dhi·​satt·​va ˌbō-di-ˈsət-və How to pronounce bodhisattva (audio) -ˈsät- How to pronounce bodhisattva (audio)
variants or boddhisattva
: a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others and is worshipped as a deity in Mahayana Buddhism

Examples of bodhisattva in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s because there’s a bodhisattva among them. — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2021 Six represent the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, while the other five likely depict Tara, who is known as a deity in Hinduism and a female bodhisattva—central figures who delay personal enlightenment in order to offer earthbound worshippers salvation—or Buddha in different Buddhist traditions. — Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit bodhisattva one whose essence is enlightenment, from bodhi enlightenment + sattva being — more at bid entry 1

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bodhisattva was in 1801

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Cite this Entry

“Bodhisattva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodhisattva. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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