ikigai

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noun

The Japanese concept of a reason for being, and having a sense of purpose based on one's interests and talents.

OriginJapanese 生き甲斐 →
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Meanings

nounikigai (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe Japanese concept of a reason for being, and having a sense of purpose based on one's interests and talents.

    People certainly do live long lives in Japan because of this ikigai. It is part of a sense of community and expressing one’s individuality quietly.

    2017 September 11, Suzanne Moore, “What's next after hygge? My search for the next big fad”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Origin

  1. Japanese生き甲斐
  2. Englishikigai

Borrowed from Japanese 生き甲斐.

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ikigai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikigai

MLA

“ikigai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikigai. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ikigai,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ikigai.

Source: ikigai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.