名誉
Meaning in Englishhonor, credit, prestige
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
What does 名誉 (meiyo) mean? It denotes a person's or group's social standing and dignity—the respect, credibility, or prestige they hold because of actions, status, or public recognition, often tied to moral conduct and public perception.
Main meanings
- 1. Official recognition or bestowed titles and honors, such as honorary positions or awards.
- 2. The idea of personal dignity or moral worth separate from public fame.
- 3. A legal/social concept referring to harm to one's reputation (cases where reputation is damaged).
- 4. Used attributively in compounds to indicate honorary or ceremonial status rather than substantive authority.
How to use it
Appears across formal registers—news reports, legal documents, university and organizational titles—and in personal contexts when people speak about protecting or restoring someone's social standing; common in discussions of awards, honorary posts, and defamation, and used more formally than everyday words for 'fame'.
Variants and close terms
- 名声 (meisei) — fame, public renown
- 評判 (hyōban) — reputation, public opinion
- 威信 (ishin) — prestige, authority
- 面目 (menboku) — face, social standing
- 不名誉 (fumeiyo) — disgrace, dishonor (antonym)
Composition
- 名: originally 'name' but extended to 'reputation' or 'fame'—the identifier side of social standing.
- 誉: 'praise' or 'esteem'—the judgment or praise given by others.
- Together 名誉 (meiyo) fuses the idea of a recognized name/status with the praise or esteem that gives it value, forming the concept of honor/reputation.
Etymology
名誉 (meiyo) is a Sino-Japanese compound derived from classical Chinese vocabulary; the reading reflects the on-yomi pattern borrowed from Chinese (corresponding to Mandarin míngyù), adapted into Japanese phonology through historical contact with Chinese writing and scholarship.
Origin
The cultural importance of the concept grew as Confucian and samurai ethics introduced strong norms about reputation and moral standing; during the medieval and early modern periods the idea shaped social behavior, and in the Meiji era it entered legal and institutional language as Japan modernized.
Word class
noun (名詞)