Ther·a·va·da
noun/ˌθerəˈvɑːdə/
/ˌθerəˈvɑːdə/
(also Theravada Buddhism)
[uncountable]- one of the two major forms of Buddhism
compare MahayanaTopics Religion and festivalsc2上座部(佛教部派) Word Originfrom Pali (an ancient Indian language) theravāda, literally ‘doctrine of the elders’, from thera ‘elder, old’ + vāda ‘speech, doctrine’.