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.

---

Tao ² American  

[tou] / taʊ /

noun

1. Yami.

---

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

---

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

“The Tao of Wu” looks forward to a shapeshifting future and calls for a defense of human creativity: “We must find and use a logic that’s not programmable.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Throughout her first pregnancy, Wang Yifan had lots of questions, which she usually put to renowned obstetrician Duan Tao -- or rather, an AI clone of the top Shanghai-based doctor.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

They’ll get into the psychodrama of Kit Harrington’s Henry Muck, the thrilling parallels to real world stories, the tragic downfall of Eric Tao, and more.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

Tesla executive Grace Tao told Shanghai-based media outlet Cailian on Friday that the company has started an artificial-intelligence training center in China focused on developing technology for the local market.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

When we were ten, I felt like there was nothing I could tell Tao that he wouldn’t understand.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray