school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan
"The monk retreated to a quiet garden in Kyoto, immersing himself in the Zen tradition where enlightenment is found through silent meditation and direct intuition."
a Buddhist doctrine that enlightenment can be attained through direct intuitive insight
"After years of meditation, he finally realized his true self in accordance with zen."
street name for lysergic acid diethylamide
"The undercover officer pretended to be a casual tourist buying zen from the dealer in the back alley."
A denomination of Buddhism elaborated in Japan.
"During his travels in Japan, he studied under a master of the Zen tradition to learn about meditation and enlightenment."
A denomination of Buddhism.
In plain English: Zen is a type of calm, peaceful state where you feel completely relaxed and free from stress.
"He found peace in his quiet garden, enjoying every moment to be truly zen."
Usage: Use "Zen" as an adjective before nouns like "garden" or "state," and capitalize it when referring specifically to the Buddhist tradition. Avoid using it as a noun alone in casual conversation, such as saying "I am zen," unless you are quoting someone else's specific phrasing.
Extremely relaxed and collected.
"The monk spent hours in meditation at the local Zen temple, following the strict traditions of his order."
Pertaining to this denomination of Buddhism.
In plain English: Zen means being completely calm and relaxed about everything happening around you.
"She found herself in a zen state while listening to the rain outside."
The word "zen" comes from the Japanese term for a specific form of Buddhist meditation that originated in India. It entered English as a loanword to describe this practice of deep contemplation.