Confucian

adjective

Con·​fu·​cian kən-ˈfyü-shən How to pronounce Confucian (audio)
: of or relating to the Chinese philosopher Confucius or his teachings or followers
Confucian noun
Confucianism noun
Confucianist noun or adjective

Examples of Confucian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If political conformity was imposed in the imperial past by instilling Confucian orthodoxy and official history, vast areas of China always remained beyond the control of the central government. Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023 The great singer cited that bit of Confucian wisdom often. Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023 Like many court ceremonies, the Confucian ritual that has been performed for centuries at the royal Jongmyo shrine in Korea, is meticulous and measured, stately and restrained. Brian Seibert, New York Times, 12 July 2023 Park’s dictatorial power and invocation of Confucian principles could not prevent the spread of liberal values. Hahm Chaibong, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018 Until then, the inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula had thought of themselves as junior members of a universalistic Confucian cultural sphere. Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2016 In 1919, Lu Xun, one of modern China’s most influential writers, wrote a short story about a down-on-his-luck Confucian scholar named Kong Yiji. Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 29 June 2023 For more than two millennia, the Confucian emphasis on learning had been a strength of Chinese culture. Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 Some of the Taiping’s actions resembled those of Mao’s Cultural Revolution a hundred years later; countless Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian temples and shrines were destroyed. Ian Buruma, Harper's Magazine, 11 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Confucian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Confucian was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near Confucian

Cite this Entry

“Confucian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Confucian. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

Confucian

adjective
Con·​fu·​cian kən-ˈfyü-shən How to pronounce Confucian (audio)
: of or relating to the Chinese philosopher Confucius or his teachings or followers
Confucian noun
Confucianism noun
Confucianist noun or adjective
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