The Japanese noun hotoke (仏) is a word of Buddhist origin and uncertain etymology.^[1] It has several meanings, all but a few directly linked to Buddhism. It can refer to:

• A person who has achieved satori (state of enlightenment) and has therefore become a "buddha".^[1] (In Buddhism, the term "buddha" in the lower case refers to a person who has become enlightened (i.e., awakened to the truth).)^{[2][note 1]}
• The historical Gautama Buddha himself^[1]
• The statue or the name of a buddha^[1]
• The laws of Buddhism^[1]
• Figuratively, the performing of a Buddhist memorial service. The Eiga Monogatari for example contains a sentence in which the term is used in that sense.^[1]
• In common parlance, a dead person; someone's soul^[1]
• Figuratively, a benevolent person or someone dear to one's heart^[1]
• Hotoke can also be a person's name or a nickname. It is for example a female character in the Heike Monogatari^[1] and daimyō Kōriki Kiyonaga's nickname.