noun
Rare standalone noun. Mostly encountered in classical or formal contexts. In modern Japanese, the meaning 'bad habit' is more commonly expressed by 悪癖 or 悪習, and 'harm' by 害.
古い文献では「弊」が悪い習慣を指すことがある。
In old documents, 弊 can refer to a bad habit.
prefix
Humble prefix attached to nouns referring to one's own company, organization, or group (e.g., 弊社 'our company'). Used in business correspondence and formal speech to show modesty about one's in-group.
See also: 弊社
弊社の製品についてご説明いたします。
I will explain about our company's products.
弊店では
Our store is currently holding a sale.
Common compound using the humble prefix 弊. Means 'our company' and is the most frequent example of this prefix in use.
Means 'evil practice' or 'abuse'. Uses the same kanji 弊 in the sense of 'bad habit', but is a more common compound than the standalone noun.
The kanji 弊 originally depicted a worn-out garment, conveying the idea of something broken or corrupt. The humble prefix usage developed from the sense of 'my/our humble...'.