Bushido
/ˈbʊʃɪdoʊ/noun
The traditional ethical code associated with Japan’s samurai, emphasizing loyalty, courage, honor, and self-discipline.
Did you know?The word became globally famous through Nitobe Inazō’s 1899 English book Bushido: The Soul of Japan, while historians debate how uniform or ancient a single samurai code actually was.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Classical Chinese
dào (道)
“A road, path, method, or way; later also a philosophical principle or the course of reality.”
Ancient Japan
Japanese
bushi (武士)
“A warrior or member of the military class; literally, a person associated with martial service.”
Edo Period
Japanese
bushidō (武士道)
“The way or principles associated with warriors; the compound developed in writings about samurai conduct.”
1899
English
Bushido
“The term was popularized internationally by Nitobe Inazō’s English-language book, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.”
Modern English
English
Bushido
“A borrowed term for the idealized moral code or ethos linked with the samurai.”