Word
Kana: しんり Romaji: shinri Level: N3

真理

Meaning in English

truth

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Word context

What it means

Truth in a philosophical sense, 真理 denotes the state of alignment between belief and fact or the fundamental reality and rational principle that underlies phenomena. It is used in formal discourse to refer to ultimate truth rather than everyday correctness.

Main meanings

  • 1) Core sense: truth as correspondence with fact in philosophy and science.
  • 2) Essential nature: the underlying principle or rational order that governs phenomena.

How to use it

Primarily used in formal, academic, and philosophical contexts to denote ultimate truth or fundamental reality; typical in philosophical essays, theology, epistemology, and ethical debates; not common in casual conversation.

Variants and close terms

  • 真実 (shinjitsu) — truth
  • 現実 (genjitsu) — reality
  • 虚偽 (kyogi) — falsehood
  • 真理値 (shinritchi) — truth value

Composition

  • 真: true, real; authenticity
  • 理: reason, logic, principle

Etymology

shinri is a Sino-Japanese compound of 真 (true) and 理 (reason, logic); the reading shinri comes from the on'yomi of the two kanji, forming a formal term used in philosophy.

Origin

In Japanese intellectual history, 真理 emerged in the context of Buddhist and Confucian thought and was integrated into Japanese scholarly language during the Heian through Edo periods, continuing into modern philosophy and religious discourse.

Word class

noun (名詞)

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