Standard Lemma guide

Zen

adj · name · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /zɛn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈzɛn/
  • rhymes with -ɛn
  • CMU ARPABET: Z EH1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or related to Zen Buddhism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: lifestyle, religion

Examples

  • Zen meditation
  • Zen monk
  • Zen master

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of zen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of Zen: of or related to Zen Buddhism, particularly its focus on indirect teaching of wisdom through riddles and stories.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Wise, displaying enlightenment or similar wisdom, insightful, unburdened and free of worries, extremely relaxed and capable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A school of Mahayana Buddhism characterized by sudden enlightenment achieved by indirect means and principally associated with China and Japan.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Alternative letter-case form of zen: (religion) enlightenment and (informal) mindful action, instruction, or behavior considered similar to Zen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Synonym of enlightenment, particularly the kind acquired through Zen meditation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enlightenment, particularly the kind acquired through Zen meditation

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An approach to instruction, understanding, or an activity similarly emphasizing simplicity and intuition rather than conventional thinking or fixation on goals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • the zen of cooking
  • the zen of passing the bar exam
  • the zen of C++

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tao

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

street name for lysergic acid diethylamide

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: acid, back breaker, battery-acid, dose, dot, Elvis, loony toons, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, pane, superman, window pane

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD

10

noun

Meaning 10

a Buddhist doctrine that enlightenment can be attained through direct intuitive insight

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Zen Buddhism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Buddhism

11

noun

Meaning 11

school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Zen Buddhism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: Buddhism

History

Etymology

From Japanese 禅(ぜん) (zen), from Middle Chinese 禪 (MC dzyen), an abbreviation of 禪那 (MC dzyen na), from Sanskrit ध्यान (dhyāna, “a type of meditation”). Doublet of dhyana and Chan.

From Zen. In more general use, popularized by Eugen Herrigel's 1948 Zen in the Art of Archery and Robert M. Pirsig's 1974 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Polish: zen — of or related to Zen Buddhism
  • Spanish: zen — of or related to Zen Buddhism
  • Arabic: زَن (zan) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Arabic: زِن (zin) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Arabic: زِن (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Armenian: ձեն (jen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Bashkir: Дзэн (Dzen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Burmese: ဇင်ဗုဒ္ဓဘာသာ (jangbuddha.bhasa) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Chinese: 禪 /禅 (zh-min-nan) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Chinese: 禪宗 /禅宗 (siân-chong) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 禪 /禅 (chán) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 禪宗 /禅宗 (chánzōng) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Czech: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Esperanto: zena — denomination of Buddhism
  • Finnish: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Finnish: zenbuddhalaisuus — denomination of Buddhism
  • Finnish: zenbuddhismi — denomination of Buddhism
  • French: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Georgian: ძენი (ʒeni) — denomination of Buddhism
  • German: Zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Greek: Ζεν — denomination of Buddhism
  • Hebrew: זן — denomination of Buddhism
  • Hindi: ज़ेन (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Hindi: झेन (jhen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Hungarian: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Irish: Búdachas Zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Irish: Zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Japanese: 禅 (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Japanese: 禅宗 (zenshū) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Kazakh: Дзен (Dzen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Korean: 선 (seon) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Korean: 선종 (seonjong) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Lao: ເຊັນ (sen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Malayalam: സെൻ (seṉ) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Marathi: जेन (jen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Marathi: झेन (jhen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Persian: ذن — denomination of Buddhism
  • Polish: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Portuguese: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Punjabi: ਜ਼ੇਨ (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Punjabi: زین (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Russian: дзэн (dzɛn) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Russian: дзен (dzen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Sanskrit: ध्यान (dhyāna) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Sinhalese: සෙන් (sen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Spanish: budismo zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Spanish: zen — denomination of Buddhism
  • Telugu: జెన్ (jen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Thai: เซน (seen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Tibetan: ཟེན (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Urdu: زین (zen) — denomination of Buddhism
  • Vietnamese: thiền — denomination of Buddhism
  • Vietnamese: Thiền Tông — denomination of Buddhism
  • Yiddish: זען (zen) — denomination of Buddhism