Main Entry: Ther·a·va·da

Pronunciation: \ˌther-ə-ˈvä-də\

Function: noun

Etymology: Pali theravāda, literally, doctrine of the elders

Date: 1882

: a conservative branch of Buddhism comprising sects chiefly in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia and adhering to the original Pali scriptures alone and to the nontheistic ideal of nirvana for a limited select number — compare mahayana