nirvana

[ nir-vah-nuh, -van-uh, ner- ]
/ nɪrˈvɑ nə, -ˈvæn ə, nər- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR nirvana ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(often initial capital letter) Pali nibbana. Buddhism. freedom from the endless cycle of personal reincarnations, with their consequent suffering, as a result of the extinction of individual passion, hatred, and delusion: attained by the Arhat as his goal but postponed by the Bodhisattva.
(often initial capital letter) Hinduism. salvation through the union of Atman with Brahma; moksha.
a place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world.

Origin of nirvana

First recorded in 1830–40, nirvana is from the Sanskrit word nirvāṇa

OTHER WORDS FROM nirvana

nir·va·nic, adjective

Words nearby nirvana

nira, nirenberg, nirex, niridazole, nirmalin, nirvana, nisan, nisei, nisgul, nish, nishapur

Words related to nirvana

heaven, joy, peace, ecstasy, awakening, bliss, serenity, tranquillity, paradise, happiness

Example sentences from the Web for nirvana

British Dictionary definitions for nirvana

nirvana
/ (nɪəˈvɑːnə, nɜː-) /

noun

Buddhism Hinduism final release from the cycle of reincarnation attained by extinction of all desires and individual existence, culminating (in Buddhism) in absolute blessedness, or (in Hinduism) in absorption into Brahman

Derived forms of nirvana

nirvanic, adjective

Word Origin for nirvana

C19: from Sanskrit: extinction, literally: a blowing out, from nir- out + vāti it blows

Cultural definitions for nirvana

nirvana
[ (neer-vah-nuh, nur-vah-nuh) ]

In Buddhism, the highest state of consciousness, in which the soul is freed from all desires and attachments. Nirvana is sometimes inaccurately used as a synonym for heaven or paradise.