Confucius

[ kuh n-fyoo-shuh s ]

/ kənˈfyu ʃəs /

noun

K'ung Ch'iu, 551? b.c.–478? b.c., Chinese philosopher and teacher.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Chinese K'ung Fu-tzŭ.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for confucius

The great Chinese philosopher Confucius put forward a timeless and important doctrine: The rectification of names.
Yousef Munayyer Responds to His Critics|Yousef Munayyer|March 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Sora's Chinese name has more than 41 million page hits on Google, exceeding that of Mao Zedong, Yao Ming, or Confucius.
Porn Star Sora Aoi Is Taking China by Storm|Isaac Stone Fish|May 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
In one sense it is the old popular religion of China, of which Confucius selected the scholarly and gentlemanly features.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Charles Eliot
As they sat together, Confucius asked him, What does your master do?
The Sayings Of Confucius|Confucius

Do you know anything about Confucius, Shintoism, or Swedenborg, beyond the names?
Stover at Yale|Owen Johnson
Confucius himself had, it is true, labored for the establishment of a centralized monarchy.
Evolution Of The Japanese, Social And Psychic|Sidney L. Gulick
Tsou was Confucius's birthplace; his father was governor of the town.
The Wisdom of Confucius|Epiphanius Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for confucius

Confucius

/ (kənˈfjuːʃəs) /

noun

Chinese name Kong Zi or K'ung Fu-tse. 551–479 bc, Chinese philosopher and teacher of ethics (see Confucianism). His doctrines were compiled after his death under the title The Analects of Confucius

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for confucius

Confucius

A Chinese philosopher of the sixth century b.c.; the founder of Confucianism. His teachings have come down to us as a collection of short sayings.