Shinto

American  

[shin-toh] / ˈʃɪn toʊ /

noun

1. Also Shintoism. the native religion of Japan, primarily a system of nature and ancestor worship.

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adjective

1. Also Shintoistic. of, relating to, or characteristic of Shinto.

Shinto British  

/ ˈʃɪntəʊ /

noun

1. the indigenous religion of Japan, polytheistic in character and incorporating the worship of a number of ethnic divinities, from the chief of which the emperor is believed to be descended

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Other Word Forms

• Shintoism
  noun
• Shintoist
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of Shinto

< Japanese shintō, earlier shintau < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese shéndào way of the gods

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Shinto

As these forms of faith came down to the present day, they tended to ignore the strain of religions that are mostly nonproselytizing—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto and tribal indigenous traditions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

When the crossing appears, Yatsurugi's priest holds a Shinto ritual on the ice, something Miyasaka has been able to do just 11 times in over four decades in the job.

From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026

Visible through one of the windows flanking the front door, she sat so still that she might have been mistaken for a statue, like the lion-dogs that guard the entrance to a Shinto shrine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2024

One of its logos was said to resemble a Shinto temple, while the iconic mineral water bottle’s red cap was deemed to be a reference to the Japanese flag.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024

Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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