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 Those old-school Confucian family dynamics, Ng said, are increasingly being tempered with a sense of autonomy. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 15 June 2024 The exams helped engender a large, male, managerial class indoctrinated by a common way of thinking – Confucian ideology. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024 The Confucian approach to life exhibited by the Chinese actors appealed to Wohlatz. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Official propaganda has used the festivities as a chance to underscore Confucian beliefs about an orderly family being the bedrock of a stable and prosperous society. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 And Confucian thought interprets wood as a symbol of unlimited potential. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 The original text of the Bamboo Annals was buried with King Xiang of Wei, who died in 296 BCE, and wasn't discovered until 281 CE, thus surviving Emperor Qin Shi Huang's burning of the books in 212 BCE (not to mention burying hundreds of Confucian scholars alive). Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Jan. 2023 Citizen intellectuals and historians weren’t part of the Confucian tradition, with its often patronizing concern for the country or the people, but were motivated to act for personal reasons. Ian Johnson, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2023 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

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 Oct. 2024.

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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