Confucius

[ kuhn-fyoo-shuhs ]

noun

1. Kǔng Qiū, 551? b.c.–478? b.c., Chinese philosopher and teacher.

Confucius

/ kənˈfjuːʃəs /

noun

1. Confucius551 bc479 bcMChinesePHILOSOPHY: philosopherEDUCATION: teacher of ethics Chinese name Kong Zi or K'ung Fu-tse. 551–479 bc , Chinese philosopher and teacher of ethics (see Confucianism ). His doctrines were compiled after his death under the title The Analects of Confucius

Confucius

1. A Chinese philosopher of the sixth century b.c. ; the founder of Confucianism . His teachings have come down to us as a collection of short sayings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Confucius¹

First recorded in 1770–80; Latinization of Chinese Kǔng Fūzǐ “Master Kung” (birth name Kǔng Qiū ) by European Jesuits in China in the 17th century

Example Sentences

During the Cultural Revolution, books authored by the philosopher-sage Confucius were publicly burned.

From Ozy

The great Chinese philosopher Confucius put forward a timeless and important doctrine: The rectification of names.

From The Daily Beast

Sora's Chinese name has more than 41 million page hits on Google, exceeding that of Mao Zedong, Yao Ming, or Confucius.

From The Daily Beast

How superior is Confucius—the first of mortals who have not been favored with revelations!

From Project Gutenberg

No ancient teacher enjoined the duties based on an immutable morality with more force than Confucius, Buddha, and Epictetus.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor did he claim, any more than Confucius, originality of doctrines, only the revival of forgotten or neglected truths.

From Project Gutenberg

Confucius held his high office as minister of Justice for two years longer, and some suppose he was made prime minister.

From Project Gutenberg

For two thousand years Confucius has reigned supreme,--the undisputed teacher of a population of three or four hundred millions.

From Project Gutenberg