stupa

noun

stu·​pa ˈstü-pə How to pronounce stupa (audio)
: a usually dome-shaped structure (such as a mound) serving as a Buddhist shrine

Illustration of stupa

Illustration of stupa

Examples of stupa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The site’s first stupa was likely built at the time of the Buddha’s death around 400 B.C.E., per Sotheby’s. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025 His excavation of the site uncovered an ancient Buddhist stupa and a huge sandstone sarcophagus-like tomb. Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 May 2025 At one edge of the lawn, tall Tibetan prayer flag stands next to a white incense-burning stupa, much like the one on the family property in Taktser. Anne F. Thurston, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2016 The stupa, a Buddhist structure, is one of the oldest forms of sacred architecture on Earth. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for stupa

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit stūpa

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stupa was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stupa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupa. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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