Main Entry: nir·va·na

Pronunciation: \nir-ˈvä-nə, (ˌ)nər-\

Function: noun

Usage: often capitalized

Etymology: Sanskrit nirvāṇa, literally, act of extinguishing, from nis- out + vāti it blows — more at wind

Date: 1801

1 : the final beatitude that transcends suffering, karma, and samsara and is sought especially in Buddhism through the extinction of desire and individual consciousness
2 a : a place or state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality; also : bliss, heaven b : a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable : dream

— nir·van·ic \-ˈvä-nik, -ˈva-\ adjective