/ ˌbɒdɪˈsɑːtvə; NAmE ˌboʊd-/ noun
( in Mahayana Buddhism ) a person who is able to reach nirvana (= a state of peace and happiness) but who delays doing this because of the suffering of other humans
••
WORD ORIGIN
Sanskrit , a person whose essence is perfect knowledge , from bodhi perfect knowledge (from budh- know perfectly) + sattva being, essence.