Meanings
proper nounthe eightfold way
- natural sciencesa theory that organizes subatomic particles into octets
Origin
Coined by American physicist Murray Gell-Mann in 1961, as an allusion to the noble eightfold path in Buddhism.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
eightfold way. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eightfold%20way
MLA
“eightfold way.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eightfold%20way. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eightfold way,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eightfold%20way.
Source: eightfold way on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.