Theravada

T1H4E1R1A1V4A1D2A1
/ˌtɛrəˈvɑːdə//ˌθɛrəˈvɑːdə/

proper noun

The oldest surviving school of Buddhism based on the earliest recorded teachings of the historical Buddha found in the Pali canon, widely practised in Southeast Asia.

Similar
Theravada Buddhism
OriginSanskrit स्थविरवाद →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. BuddhismThe oldest surviving school of Buddhism based on the earliest recorded teachings of the historical Buddha found in the Pali canon, widely practised in Southeast Asia.
nounTheravada (plural Theravadas)

plural Theravadas

  1. A Buddhist of this particular school.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounone of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing personal salvation through your own efforts; a conservative form of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures and the non-theistic ideal of self purification to nirvana; the dominant religion of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand and Laos and Cambodia

Similar
Theravada Buddhism
Broader
Buddhism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Sanskritस्थविरवाद
  2. EnglishTheravada

Transliteration of Pali theravāda, inherited from Sanskrit स्थविरवाद (sthaviravāda, literally “doctrine of the elders”), from स्थविर (sthavira, “elder”) + वाद (vāda, “doctrine”).

More words from Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali থেরবাদ
  • থেরবাদ (therbad)school of Buddhism
Bulgarian тхеравада
  • тхеравада (theravada)school of Buddhism
Chinese Mandarin 小乘佛教, 南傳佛教 /南传佛教
  • 小乘佛教 (Xiǎochéng Fójiào)school of Buddhism
  • 南傳佛教 /南传佛教 (Nánchuán Fójiào)school of Buddhism
  • 上座部佛教 (Shàngzuòbù Fójiào)school of Buddhism
Esperanto Teravado
  • Teravadoschool of Buddhism
Hindi थेरवाद, स्थविरवाद
  • थेरवाद (thervād)school of Buddhism
  • स्थविरवाद (sthavirvād)school of Buddhism
Hungarian théraváda
  • théravádaschool of Buddhism
Indonesian Therawada
  • Therawadaschool of Buddhism
Irish Teireaváda
  • Teireavádaschool of Buddhism
Japanese 上座部
  • 上座部 (jōzabu)school of Buddhism
Polish therawada
  • therawadaschool of Buddhism
Portuguese teravada
  • teravadaschool of Buddhism
Tamil தேரவாதம், ஸ்தவிரவாதம்
  • தேரவாதம் (tēravātam)school of Buddhism
  • ஸ்தவிரவாதம் (staviravātam)school of Buddhism
Thai เถรวาท
  • เถรวาท (těe-rá-wâat)school of Buddhism
Vietnamese Thượng toạ bộ
  • Thượng toạ bộschool of Buddhism
Cite this entry
APA

Theravada. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Theravada

MLA

“Theravada.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Theravada. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Theravada,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Theravada.

Source: Theravada on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.