tai chi

noun

ˈtī-ˈchē  ˈtī-ˈjē 

variants or less commonly t'ai chi or tai chi chuan or t'ai chi ch'uan

ˈtī-ˈchē-chü-ˈän, 

ˈtī-ˈjē- 

, often Tai Chi

: an ancient Chinese discipline of meditative movements practiced as a system of exercises

Examples of tai chi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Barnett’s Bruin, in turn, unlocks those desires — Wills stages a haunting and sexy moment where Bruin does tai chi with a toy sword of power that’s probably thematically richer than anything in the He-Man film that’s coming out this week. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 3 June 2026

For example, tai chi practitioners are encouraged to stay at 70% effort, a practice that reduces injuries, facilitates mindfulness, and helps maintain nourishing, not disordered, relationships to movement. —Paula Chesley, STAT, 3 June 2026

Join this session with Nelson Ng, who has been teaching tai chi since 2014 after learning the art from Master Gene Chen, a disciple of Grandmaster Feng ZhiQiang. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 1 June 2026

In such cases, the best medicine can offer is often a patchwork of modestly effective medications and nonpharmacological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, and tai chi. —Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) tàijíquán, from tàijí the Absolute in Chinese cosmology + quán fist, boxing

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tai chi

noun

ˈtī-ˈjē 

-ˈchē

often capitalized T&C

: an ancient Chinese system of movements performed for meditation or exercise

Medical Definition

tai chi

noun

variants also t'ai chi

ˈtī-ˈjē, -ˈchē 

or tai chi chuan or t'ai chi ch'uan

-chü-ˈän

often capitalized T&C

: an ancient Chinese discipline involving a continuous series of controlled usually slow movements designed to improve physical and mental well-being