also: おおがみ · だいじん
great god; deity
Archaic honorific term for a god or deity, often used in Shinto contexts or classical literature. Modern usage is rare and mostly found in fixed expressions or historical references.
In the Kojiki, the story of the great god Amaterasu hiding in the rock cave is recorded.
The villagers offered prayers to the great god of the mountain.
大神 is an archaic honorific term reserved for a specific great deity, while 神 is the plain, everyday word for 'god'.
Deities such as 大神 are traditionally counted with the counter 柱, as in 二柱の大神 ('two gods').
Standard kanji spelling for the reading おおかみ, meaning 'great god'.
Alternate reading of the same kanji, also meaning 'great god'.
Sino-Japanese reading; less common and may appear in historical or literary contexts.
A native compound of 大 and 神, denoting a great or eminent deity.