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kami

British  
/ ˈkɑːmɪ /

noun

  1. a divine being or spiritual force in Shinto

"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

Etymology

Origin of kami

C18: from Japanese: god, lord

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.

As kami expert Matt Alt told me, "Only a place with countless shrines, each venerating their own locations and local deities, could have dreamed up something like 'Spirited Away.'"

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2022

Confusion reigns, as in a debate over the meaning of the Japanese word kami, which Aki notes can mean “hair,” “god” or “paper.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 16, 2015

Shinto worshipers believed in kami, divine spirits that dwelled in nature.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

Any unusual or especially beautiful tree, rock, waterfall, or mountain was considered the home of a kami.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

A kami is anything wonderful—god or man, rock or stream, bird or snake, whatever is surprising, sensational, or phenomenal, as in the little child's world of to-day.

From The Religions of Japan From the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by Griffis, William Elliot