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• yin and yang
  yin and yang

  noun

  (in Chinese philosophy and religion) two principles, one negative, dark, and feminine yin, and one positive, bright, and masculine yang, whose interaction influences the destinies of creatures and things.
• Yin and Yang
  Yin and Yang

  noun

  two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy: Yin is negative, dark, and feminine, Yang positive, bright, and masculine. Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it

yin and yang

American  

[yin uhn yang] / ˈjɪn ən ˈjæŋ /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. (in Chinese philosophy and religion) two principles, one negative, dark, and feminine yin, and one positive, bright, and masculine yang, whose interaction influences the destinies of creatures and things.

2. the yin and yang, the dual and contrasting aspects or principles of a particular field of activity, thought, etc..

   The senator spoke at length about the yin and yang of job cuts and job creation.

   Experiences and equipment are the yin and yang of road tripping.

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adjective

1. relating to or based on the two opposing principles in Chinese philosophy and religion, one negative, dark, and feminine (yin), and one positive, bright, and masculine (yang).

   In the classical Chinese conception of the cosmos, physical entities are simply instantiations of yin and yang energy.

   She practices traditional yin and yang healing.

2. being, involving, or encompassing opposite or contrasting elements.

   This ornament captures yin and yang beauty in shadows formed by light.

   Yin and yang relationships, like the one between my practical mother and bohemian father, often do well.

Yin and Yang British  

/ jɪn /

noun

1. two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy: Yin is negative, dark, and feminine, Yang positive, bright, and masculine. Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it

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yin and yang Cultural  

1. Two forces in the universe, according to a Chinese theory: yin is the passive, negative force, and yang the active, positive force. According to this theory, wise people will detect these forces in the seasons, in their food, and so on, and will regulate their lives accordingly.

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Usage

What does yin and yang mean? There's light and dark, day and night, good and evil, yin and yang. Yin and yang or yin-yang refers to a concept originating in ancient Chinese philosophy where opposite forces are seen as interconnected and counterbalancing. It is commonly represented by the yin-yang symbol, a circle made up of black and white swirls, each containing a spot of the other.

Etymology

Origin of yin and yang

First recorded in 1930–35; from Chinese yīn-yáng

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yin and yang Yin and Yang

"We are quite different people - very much yin and yang - but I think decisions are better made with two brains rather than one as it stops hubris," says Begg, who is London-based.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

There is a yin and yang to that.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025

They’re very — they have this yin and yang thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024

"We see the yin and yang of human existence in the ancient Maya," Lentz said.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2024

As with the yin and yang of the Far East and Zoroaster’s dualism of good and evil in the Near East, creation and destruction were intermingled in Hinduism.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

If Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith are England's tall and short, spin and seam, bowling Yin and Yang, Kemp and Gibson, who were both signed in The Hundred for more than £100,000 are similarly complementary.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

"There is a Yin and Yang to mitochondria," said Pradeep Joshi, a senior scientist and co-author on the publication.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2023

I decided to make a nutritious Japanese-style stew, a recipe based on the five elements of the Yin and Yang philosophy.

From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2020

They represent Yin and Yang, played by two acrobatic twins, Yang Haoxiang and Yang Haoyun.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2017

For example, even the leaves of that tree are distinguished by Yin and Yang.

From Hung Lou Meng, Book II Or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel in Two Books by Joly, H. Bencraft