中立
Meaning in Englishneutrality
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 中立 mean? It denotes a position of not taking sides in a dispute or competition, maintaining an even-handed, unbiased stance. It is used for individuals, organizations, or states to indicate not aligning with any party.
Main meanings
- Neutral stance in politics, diplomacy, or competition
- Impartiality or objectivity in reporting, judging, or research
- Not affiliated with any side or faction
How to use it
Used as a noun to express neutrality in formal contexts such as diplomacy, policy debates, and journalism; the adjectival form 中立的 describes a neutral state or approach, with common collocations including 中立の立場 and 中立を保つ.
Variants and close terms
- 中立性 (ちゅうりつせい, chūritsusei) — neutrality
- 公正さ (こうせいさ, kouseisa) — fairness, impartiality
- 偏向 (へんこう, henkou) — bias
- 偏見 (へんけん, henken) — prejudice
Composition
- 中 = middle; 立 = to stand; together they form a pictorial idea of standing in the middle, which metaphorically yields neutrality
Etymology
中 middle, 立 to stand; together they describe standing in the middle, not leaning toward a side, which over time came to signify neutrality.
Origin
Early usage appears in classical Chinese texts adopted into Japanese discourse; in modern Japan the term gained prominence in diplomacy, journalism, and public administration from the Edo through Meiji periods onward.
Word class
Noun (名詞)