also: ぼつぎどう
noun, na-adjective
Strongly negative term for cruel, heartless, or morally outrageous behavior. Often used in literary or emphatic contexts.
彼の没義道な振る舞いに、誰もが言葉を失った。
Everyone was speechless at his brutal behavior.
戦争の没義道さを描いた小説。
A novel depicting the inhumanity of war.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 没 (sink, lose) and 義 (righteousness) suggest a loss of moral principles, leading to the meaning of brutality or inhumanity.