kai·zen (k??z?n?)n. A business management system or philosophy aimed at producing ongoing incremental improvements throughout an organization, especially in quality and efficiency.[Japanese : kai, change (from Middle Chinese kaj´; also the source of Mandarin g?i) + zen, good (from Early Middle Chinese d?ian’; also the source of Mandarin shàn).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.kaizen (ka??z?n) n (Philosophy) a philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices that underlies total quality management and just-in-time business techniques[literally: improvement]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014