Tao

¹ American  

[dou, tou] / daʊ, taʊ /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. (in philosophical Taoism) that in virtue of which all things happen or exist.

2. the rational basis of human activity or conduct.

3. a universal, regarded as an ideal attained to a greater or lesser degree by those embodying it.

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Tao ² American  

[tou] / taʊ /

noun

1. Yami.

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Tao British  

/ taʊ /

noun

1. that in virtue of which all things happen or exist

2. the rational basis of human conduct

3. the course of life and its relation to eternal truth

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Etymology

Origin of Tao¹

First recorded in 1730–40; from Chinese (Wade-Giles) Tao4, (pinyin) dào literally, “path, way, right way”

Origin of Tao²

From Tao: literally, “human being”

Example Sentences

Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto let a day’s stroll linger into profundity, the twilight dimming and human connection brewing in all its possibilities.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Shortly after the crash, Zhu Tao, aviation safety office director at the CAA told reporters that they did not have a clear assessment of the cause for the crash.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

In “The Tao of Wu,” Robert Diggs of Brooklyn, N.Y., charts his reinvention as RZA, the “Abbot” of the hip-hop juggernaut Wu-Tang Clan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Nevertheless, Beijing is "keen to show that external turbulence will not easily disrupt its governing rhythm or its longer-term strategic agenda", said Yu Tao, a Chinese studies professor at the University of Western Australia.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Tao has been my friend and confidant for so many years, but...he isn’t a daraja.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray