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Definition of tao

tao

/daʊ/
tao
Plural:taos
•
Adjective:Taoist
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tao Lexical Profile

tao Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

In Chinese philosophy and religion (especially Taoism and Confucianism), the absolute, underlying principle of the universe that governs the natural order of existence and the harmonious way of living.

Example

"Ancient sages taught that true wisdom comes from aligning one's daily actions with the flow of the Tao."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for tao

Word Nuance & Usage

Often capitalized as 'Tao' and pronounced with an initial /d/ or /t/ sound in English; in modern scholarly writing, the Pinyin spelling 'Dao' is increasingly preferred.

• Rhymes for tao

• Nearby Words

tanzania
tanzanian
tanzanian shrub viper
tao
taos
tap
tapaculo

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 18th century from Mandarin Chinese 道 (dào), literally meaning 'way', 'path', or 'principle', transcribed via the older Wade-Giles romanization system as 'tao'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tao. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tao
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