yin and yang

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

(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.

Origin of yin and yang

First recorded in 1930–35, yin and yang is from the Chinese word yīn-yáng

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for yin-yang

Contemporary Examples of yin-yang

I can report that the thoroughness of the yin-yang between their personalities is inherently amusing.
TV's Funniest Frenemies
Jessi Klein
July 14, 2009

British Dictionary definitions for yin-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

Word Origin for Yin and Yang

from Chinese (Peking) yin dark + yang bright

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

yin-yang in Culture

yin and yang

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.