TAOISM

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Taoism mean? 

• TAOISM (noun)
  The noun TAOISM has 4 senses:

1. a Chinese sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but incorporating pantheism and sorcery in addition to Taoism

2. religion adhering to the teaching of Lao-tzu

3. popular Chinese philosophical system based in teachings of Lao-tzu but characterized by a pantheism of many gods and the practices of alchemy and divination and magic

4. philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events

  Familiarity information: TAOISM used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAOISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A Chinese sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but incorporating pantheism and sorcery in addition to Taoism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("Taoism" is a kind of...):

religious order; religious sect; sect (a subdivision of a larger religious group)

Meronyms (members of "Taoism"):

Tao; Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)

Derivation:

Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Religion adhering to the teaching of Lao-tzu

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("Taoism" is a kind of...):

faith; organized religion; religion (an institution to express belief in a divine power)

Meronyms (members of "Taoism"):

Tao; Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)

Domain category:

Daoism; Taoism (philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events)

Derivation:

Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Popular Chinese philosophical system based in teachings of Lao-tzu but characterized by a pantheism of many gods and the practices of alchemy and divination and magic

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

Hsuan Chiao; Taoism

Hypernyms ("Taoism" is a kind of...):

faith; religion; religious belief (a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny)

Derivation:

Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

Daoism; Taoism

Hypernyms ("Taoism" is a kind of...):

philosophical doctrine; philosophical theory (a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy)

Meronyms (parts of "Taoism"):

Tao (the ultimate principle of the universe)

Domain member category:

Tao (the ultimate principle of the universe)

Taoism (religion adhering to the teaching of Lao-tzu)

Derivation:

Taoist (an adherent of any branch of Taoism)