Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:
- "spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being" (in Daoist/Taoist philosophy and cosmology)
- "physically immortal; immortal person; immortalist; saint" (in Daoist religion and pantheon)
- "alchemist; one who seeks the elixir of life; one who practices longevity techniques" or by extension "(alchemical, dietary, qigong) methods for attaining immortality" (in Chinese alchemy)
- "wizard; magician; shaman" (in Chinese mythology)
- "genie; elf, fairy; nymph" (in popular Chinese literature, 仙境 xian jing is "fairyland", Faerie)
- "sage living high in the mountains; mountain-man; hermit; recluse" (folk etymology for the character 仙)
- "immortal (talent); accomplished person; celestial (beauty); marvelous; extraordinary" (metaphorical modifier)
Xian semantically developed from meaning spiritual "immortality; enlightenment", to physical "immortality; longevity" involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, and
T'ai chi ch'uan, and eventually to legendary and figurative "immortality".