# Taoism

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈtaʊ̯.ɪzm̩/ · frequency rank #53,902

## Definitions
1. A Chinese mystical philosophy traditionally founded by Lao-tzu in the 6th century B.C.E. that teaches conformity to the tao by wu wei, naturalness, and simplicity, long closely intertwined with Chinese folk religion and influenced by Buddhism, with which it shares five precepts.
2. Traditional Chinese folk religion.

## Etymology
From Tao + -ism.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/taoism