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kendo

American  
[ken-doh] / ˈkɛn doʊ /

noun

  1. a Japanese form of fencing using bamboo staves, with the contestants wearing head guards and protective garments.

kendo British  
/ ˈkɛndəʊ /

noun

  1. the Japanese art of fencing with pliable bamboo staves or, sometimes, real swords: strict conventions are observed

"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

Other Word Forms

  • kendoist noun

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

Sashimi knives and kendo equipment were also added to fires because people thought that the authorities might regard them as Japanese weapons.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2022

In addition to the regular school sessions and the recreation program, classes of every kind were being offered all over camp: singing, acting, trumpet playing, tap-dancing, plus traditional Japanese arts like needlework, judo, and kendo.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Definitions 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.