ˌmä(h)əˈyänə noun
( -s )
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: Sanskrit mahāyāna the great vehicle, from mahat great + yāna vehicle — more at hinayana
: a branch of Buddhism made up of various syncretistic sects that are found chiefly in Tibet, Nepal, China, and Japan, have vernacular scriptures based on a Sanskrit canon, believe in a god or gods, and usually teach the bodhisattva ideal of compassion and universal salvation — called also Great Vehicle ; compare hinayana , lamaism