kendo
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of kendo
1920–25; < Japanese kendō, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese jiàn “sword” + dào “way”; cf. Bushido, judo, Tao
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Classes included economics and English, as well as meditation, calligraphy and kendo, a martial art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
"Government agencies for sport and tourism are seeking to promote 'martial arts tourism', not only sumo, but also kendo and karate," he said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
She eventually became a Zen priest herself, and continues to live at the temple today, where she trains in a particularly rigorous form of Japanese swordsmanship called kendo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
One selection includes field recordings of a kendo dojo, call-and-response shouting muffled in synthesizer clouds; most suggest something disturbing, half-audible in the next room.
From New York Times ● Mar. 10, 2023
Kabuo’s training at kendo had begun when he was seven.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
