yin and yang
[ yinuhn yang ]
/ ˈyɪn ən ˈyæŋ /
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.
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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. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for yin and yang
I can report that the thoroughness of the yin-yang between their personalities is inherently amusing.
British Dictionary definitions for yin and yang
Yin and Yang
/ (jɪn) /
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
Cultural definitions for yin and yang
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.