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yin

¹ American

[yin] / yɪn /

noun

(in Chinese philosophy and religion) the negative, dark, and feminine principle, the counterpart of yang.

yin ² American

[yin] / yɪn /

adjective

Scot.

one.

Yin ³ American

[yin] / yɪn /

noun

Shang.

yin British

/ jɪn /

determiner

a Scot word for one

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of yin

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Being supportive and demanding are a yin and yang—children need both from their parents to succeed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

The source said the deputy should be the "yin to the yang" of No 10.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2025

He seemed extremely stable — like he could be the yin to my yang.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

There is a yin and yang to that.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2025

San Bernardino in 1948 supplied the nation with a new yin and yang, new models of conformity and rebellion.

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023