Nirvana
[nir-VAH-nə]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Sanskrit, 1830s
1.
A state of perfect happiness; an ideal or idyllic place.
2.
(In Buddhism) A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism.
Examples of Nirvana in a sentence
"After a stressful year at work, the week at the spa was nirvana for her."
"When he started studying Buddhism, he was fascinated by the idea of achieving Nirvana."
About Nirvana
Nirvana is a Sanskrit word that means "the act of extinguishing." It is the ultimate goal of the Buddhist path. Now the term "nirvana" can be applied to any state of extreme bliss, but it's still helpful to understand the Buddhist roots.
Did you Know?
Kurt Cobain, the singer and guitarist of the rock band Nirvana, said, “I wanted a name that was kind of beautiful or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name."
