satori
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of satori
First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese: specific sense of noun satori “comprehension, understanding,” derivative of the verb satori “to awaken”
Vocabulary lists containing satori
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.
Now apply that mote of satori to the whole nation and voilà: we have “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” David’s seven-episode contribution to America’s 250th anniversary.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
How would judges differentiate between mostly invisible forms of quietly crouching satori?
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 10, 2018
This isn’t volume in the service of good times; it’s in the service of satori.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2015
Some meditation teachers claim or strongly imply that they have achieved a state of profound, permanent bliss called enlightenment—also known as satori, samadhi, nirvana, liberation, awakening, cosmic consciousness.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 8, 2015
In fact, Krause put together rosters that three-peated twice, even though the Zen master acted as if the talent appeared shortly after he achieved satori.
From Chicago Tribune ● Mar. 19, 2014
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.
