# bodhisattva

> English word · Noun · IPA /boʊ̯diːˈsʌtvə/ · frequency rank #52,188

## Definitions
1. A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment.
2. An enlightened being existing in a form of existence beyond the ordinary forms of physical reality understood and acknowledged by scientific thought, resembling the Western notion of angels, but with a wealth of its own nuances and expectations. These include the compassionate working for enlightenment of all sentient beings.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva, “enlightened existence”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bodhisattva