Ther·a·va·da (th?r??-vä?d?)n. Buddhism A conservative branch of Buddhism that adheres to Pali scriptures and the nontheistic ideal of self-purification to nirvana and is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.[Pali therav?da : thera, an elder (from Sanskrit sthavira?, old man, from sthavira-, old, venerable; see st?- in Indo-European roots) + v?da, doctrine (from Sanskrit v?da?, statement, doctrine; see wed- in Indo-European roots).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Theravada (???r??v??d?) n (Buddhism) the southern school of Buddhism, the name preferred by Hinayana Buddhists for their doctrines[from Pali: doctrine of the elders]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014Ther?a?va?da (???r ??v? d?) n. the earlier of the two major schools of Buddhism, still prevalent in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia, emphasizing personal salvation through one’s own efforts. [1875?80;