— Mahayanist /mah'heuh yah"nist/ , n.
/mah'heuh yah"neuh/ , n.
the later of the two great schools of Buddhism, chiefly in China, Tibet, and Japan, characterized by eclecticism and a general belief in a common search for salvation, sometimes thought to be attainable through faith alone. Cf. Hinayana .
[ 1865-70; maha- great + yana vehicle ]