Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A spiritual awakening sought in Zen Buddhism, often coming suddenly.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Zen Buddhism A sudden inexpressible feeling of inner understanding or enlightenment.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Zen Buddhism) a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Japanese.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Japanese 悟り (さとり) (satori, "understanding")

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Examples

  • Dr. James Dobson's epiphany, his satori was the realization that because the family is the most basic, irreducible element and building block of the human social order, the very genesis of evil in human family life, the original sin, the first taint, has to therefore originate in the blasphemous refusal of very young children to toe the line and obey parental authority.

    Bruce Wilson: Dare To Discipline: How Obama-Critic Whipped The Mini Weiner Dog Rebellion 2008

  • The association of moment with Zen Buddhism is rooted in satori, a Japanese word for “enlightenment,” which can come as a sudden epiphany, as when the quarterback inexplicably senses a blitz and audibilizes a draw.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The association of moment with Zen Buddhism is rooted in satori, a Japanese word for “enlightenment,” which can come as a sudden epiphany, as when the quarterback inexplicably senses a blitz and audibilizes a draw.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The association of moment with Zen Buddhism is rooted in satori, a Japanese word for “enlightenment,” which can come as a sudden epiphany, as when the quarterback inexplicably senses a blitz and audibilizes a draw.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • The association of moment with Zen Buddhism is rooted in satori, a Japanese word for “enlightenment,” which can come as a sudden epiphany, as when the quarterback inexplicably senses a blitz and audibilizes a draw.

    No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003

  • Wise Asses call it satori, the Moment of True Slack.

    The Book of the SubGenius The SubGenius Foundation 1983

  • Wise Asses call it satori, the Moment of True Slack.

    The Book of the SubGenius The SubGenius Foundation 1983

  • Wise Asses call it satori, the Moment of True Slack.

    The Book of the SubGenius The SubGenius Foundation 1983

  • I don't mean to offend any Zen Buddhists out there by bastardizing the use of the word "satori", which roughly means "... individual Enlightenment, or a flash of sudden awareness".

    Opportunity In Crisis 2008

  • I don't mean to offend any Zen Buddhists out there by bastardizing the use of the word "satori", which roughly means "... individual Enlightenment, or a flash of sudden awareness".

    Archive 2008-10-01 2008

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  • A strain of medicinal marijuana.

    January 15, 2010