Shinto

[ shin-toh ]

noun

1. Also Shinto·ism. the native religion of Japan, primarily a system of nature and ancestor worship.

adjective

1. Also Shinto·istic. of, relating to, or characteristic of Shinto.

Shinto

/ ˈʃɪntəʊ /

noun

1. the indigenous religion of Japan, polytheistic in character and incorporating the worship of a number of ethnic divinities, from the chief of which the emperor is believed to be descended

Derived Forms

• ˈShintoism, noun
• ˈShintoist, nounadjective

Other Words From

• Shinto·ist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shinto¹

< Japanese shintō, earlier shintau < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese shéndào way of the gods

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shinto¹

C18: from Japanese: the way of the gods, from Chinese shên gods + tao way

Example Sentences

Visible through one of the windows flanking the front door, she sat so still that she might have been mistaken for a statue, like the lion-dogs that guard the entrance to a Shinto shrine.

From Los Angeles Times

One of its logos was said to resemble a Shinto temple, while the iconic mineral water bottle’s red cap was deemed to be a reference to the Japanese flag.

From BBC

On South Seaside Avenue they saw a torii gate like one sees at a Shinto shrine, historical plaques and a bronze pair of Japanese fishermen gazing at Fish Harbor, where their village once stood.

From Los Angeles Times

They’re the church forests in Ethiopia’s highlands, hillside groves considered holy by Catholics in Italy, woodlands revered by Shinto practitioners in Japan and Indigenous people in Siberia, Australia, the Americas and India.

From Seattle Times

Japanese dances as Hanayagi and Kabuki have been historically performed to honor the emperor, considered a representative of god in the Shinto religion.

From Seattle Times