noun
second rank; second place
Used in rankings, competitions, or hierarchical contexts to denote the position immediately after first.
彼は大会で次位に入賞した。
He won second place in the tournament.
次位の候補者も有力だ。
The second-ranked candidate is also strong.
二位 is the more common and casual word for 'second place' in everyday contexts, while 次位 is more formal and often used in official rankings or written reports.
準優勝 specifically means 'runner-up' in a competition, emphasizing being just behind the winner, whereas 次位 is a broader term for any second position.
Compound of 次 (next, second) and 位 (rank, position). The reading じい is the on'yomi of both characters.