Skip to main content
Shintoist

Shintoist

1 8.7
Relating to the traditional Japanese religion that honors spirits called kami
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃɪnˌtoʊɪst/
: shintōista
  • The festival celebrated the Shintoist traditions of honoring the spirits of nature.

Examples

  • (The rice cakes represent Izanagi and Izanami, that is, humanity's Shintoist progenitors.)

    Academic text (1992)
  • In attempting to justify Christianity, Xavier does not challenge Buddhism on theological grounds (nor does he distinguish between Buddhist and Shintoist aspects of Japanese religion), but instead attacks the bonzes.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Many Shintoist rituals involve purification before entering sacred spaces.

  • The museum showcased artifacts related to the Shintoist beliefs and practices of ancient Japan.

Synonyms

Shinto
vsShintoist
4 8.9

Relating to the Japanese religion that honors nature spirits and ancestors

emphasizes belief in spirits as a central teaching
Shintoistic
vsShintoist
9.9

Relating to the traditional Japanese religion Shinto and its ceremonies

specifies ritual practice and belief in spirits as defining features

Surface Forms

Shintoist positive

Morphology

Shintoist = Shinto (transparent) = Shinto + ist

Formed by the proper noun 'Shinto' plus the productive English suffix '-ist' meaning 'follower of' or 'relating to', which a learner can readily interpret.

Etymology

The word Shintoist comes from the Japanese Shintō, which means 'the way of the gods', with shin meaning 'god' or 'spirit' and tō meaning 'way'. So when something is called Shintoist, it relates to the rituals and beliefs of Shinto.