buddha

buddha — noun

1. the title used for Siddhartha Gautama after his spiritual awakening, especially

1.noun
Definition

the title used for Siddhartha Gautama after his spiritual awakening, especially when speaking of him as the founding teacher of Buddhism

Example

Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha after years of searching for truth.

Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha

The guide said the Buddha taught beside the river before sunset.

the Buddha + teaching verb

Common collocations
  • the Buddha's teachings
  • the Buddha's life
  • follow the Buddha
  • the Buddha taught
Synonyms
  • Siddhartha Gautama

    the personal name; Buddha is the title used after awakening

  • Gautama Buddha

    a common full form in English, especially in books

  • Shakyamuni

    a traditional Buddhist name, more common in religious writing

Grammar Patterns

the Buddha taught ...

a book about the Buddha

the Buddha's teachings

Usage Note

Usually written with the when it refers to Siddhartha Gautama by title. This sense names the historical teacher, not a statue or an ordinary Buddhist follower.

Common Mistakes

The Buddha is the name of the religion.
Buddhism is the name of the religion, and the Buddha is its founder teacher.
Buddha names the teacher, not the religion.

2. a carved, painted, or cast image showing the Buddha

2.noun
Definition

a carved, painted, or cast image showing the Buddha

Example

A stone Buddha stood near the pond in the temple garden.

material + Buddha for an image

Ravi bought a small Buddha for the quiet corner upstairs.

Common collocations
  • stone Buddha
  • wooden Buddha
  • gold Buddha
  • smiling Buddha
Synonyms
  • Buddha image

    an explicit phrase often used in museums or catalogs

  • Buddha statue

    narrower because it only means a three-dimensional object

  • figure

    broader; it can describe many kinds of statues, not only a Buddha

Grammar Patterns

a stone Buddha

buy a Buddha

place a Buddha in ...

Usage Note

Often appears with words for material, size, or style, such as stone, wooden, bronze, small, or smiling. Distinguish this sense from noun/1, which refers to the teacher himself.

3. in Buddhism, someone with complete spiritual understanding

3.noun
Definition

in Buddhism, someone with complete spiritual understanding

Example

The monk said a buddha has no fear of death.

a buddha + description

During the lecture, Professor Lin showed paintings of many buddhas.

plural: many buddhas

Common collocations
  • become a buddha
  • many buddhas
  • a buddha's compassion
Synonyms
  • enlightened one

    a loose English explanation rather than a strict technical term

  • awakened being

    a literal-style explanatory phrase often seen in translations

Grammar Patterns

become a buddha

many buddhas

a buddha who ...

Usage Note

Common in religious discussion and translation, not in ordinary small talk. Distinguish it from noun/1, which points to Siddhartha Gautama in particular.

Common Mistakes

Every kind person is a buddha.
In Buddhism, a buddha is a person who has reached complete awakening.
being kind alone does not give this religious meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, the Buddha usually means Siddhartha Gautama, the historical teacher whose teaching began Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama is the personal name, while the Buddha is the title used after awakening, so books often use both. Bodhisattva is different: it names someone on the path toward full awakening, often with an idea of helping others as well. Arhat also belongs to Buddhist teaching, but it refers to a liberated person, not to the founding teacher himself. In plain English, people sometimes explain Buddha as an enlightened one, but that is looser than the title. Compare: The Buddha taught the Middle Way. A bodhisattva delays final release to help others.

Siddhartha Gautamathe Buddhabodhisattvaarhat

Etymology

SanskritPaliEnglish

Buddha comes from Sanskrit buddha and the related Pali form buddha, both meaning awakened or enlightened. The word is linked to a root meaning wake up, notice, or understand. English first used it for Siddhartha Gautama, and later also for images of him and, in Buddhist teaching, for any fully awakened being.