Word
bushido
Phoneticsbushi·do
US/buˈʃidoʊ/
UK/bʊʃˈiːdəʊ/
Definition
n. the traditional code of honor and behavior followed by Japanese samurai. It focuses on values like loyalty, courage, and self-discipline.
n. the traditional code of conduct and moral principles governing the samurai class in feudal Japan. Emphasizes virtues such as rectitude, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty.
Examples
“The samurai lived according to the rules of bushido.”
“Historians often debate how strictly the average warrior followed the tenets of bushido during times of peace versus times of war.”
“While modern interpretations often romanticize the concept, bushido served as a rigorous ethical framework that integrated Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism to guide the warrior's life and death.”
Examples
simple
“The samurai lived according to the rules of bushido.”
contextual
“Historians often debate how strictly the average warrior followed the tenets of bushido during times of peace versus times of war.”
complex
“While modern interpretations often romanticize the concept, bushido served as a rigorous ethical framework that integrated Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism to guide the warrior's life and death.”
Usage
Typically used without an article when referring to the philosophy as a whole.
Etymology
From Japanese bushidō (武士道), a compound of Middle Chinese 武士 ("warrior") and 道 ("way"). The term entered English through borrowing rather than calquing, arriving with the West's late-nineteenth-century fascination with Japanese military ethics. Cognate with Mandarin wǔshì and Cantonese mou⁵ si⁶.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bushido