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Buddhism

Pronunciation: /ˈbʊdɪz(ə)m/

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Definition of Buddhism

noun

[mass noun]
  • a widespread Asian religion or philosophy, founded by Siddartha Gautama in NE India in the 5th century bc.

Buddhism has no god, and gives a central role to the doctrine of karma. The ‘four noble truths’ of Buddhism state that all existence is suffering, that the cause of suffering is desire, that freedom from suffering is nirvana, and that this is attained through the ‘eightfold path’ of ethical conduct, wisdom, and mental discipline (including meditation). There are two major traditions, Theravada and Mahayana

Derivatives

Buddhist

noun & adjective

Buddhistic

Pronunciation: /-ˈdɪstɪk/

adjective

Buddhistical

Pronunciation: /-ˈdɪstɪk(ə)l/

adjective

Spelling help

Remember that Buddhism and the related word Buddhist are spelled with a double d and then an h in the middle.

Buddhism in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Buddhism in the US English dictionary