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Glite Dictionary
Japanese deity

Japanese deity

9.0
A god or spirit that people in Japan worship, for example in Shinto
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪəti/
translation icon : deidad japonesa
  • Many shrines in Japan are dedicated to a particular Japanese deity from Shinto mythology.

Examples

  • In Shinto, the Japanese deity Amaterasu is revered as the sun goddess.

  • Many Japanese deities are associated with natural elements.

  • Artists often depict the Japanese deity Amaterasu with a radiant sun motif.

  • The legend describes how a Japanese deity created the islands of Japan.

  • In Shinto, the Japanese deity Amaterasu is revered as the sun goddess.

  • Many shrines in Japan are dedicated to a particular Japanese deity from Shinto mythology.

  • Artists often depict the Japanese deity Amaterasu with a radiant sun motif.

Synonyms

deity
vsJapanese deity
62 7.4

A god or goddess that people worship and think has power over part of the world

is worshipped specifically in Japan's religious traditions rather than in any culture
god
vsJapanese deity
55 3.0

An object or image that people worship and treat as having power

is the culturally specific worship in Japan rather than an object of veneration
divinity
vsJapanese deity
14 7.9

A god worshipped as controlling a part of nature

is the Japan specific form of this worship rather than a general one

Surface Forms

Japanese deity singular
Japanese deities plural

Morphology

Japanese + deity

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Japanese' denotes origin/connection to Japan and 'deity' denotes a worshipped supernatural being, so the combined meaning 'a deity from Japan' is directly derivable from the parts. This modifier + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Japanese deity mixes Japanese (from Japan) and deity ('a god' or sacred being); imagine a spirit living in a tree or river with a small shrine and a red gate to mark its place. So, Japanese deity means a supernatural being from Japan that people 'worship' or respect.