noun
Refers to one's social standing, honor, or the respect one commands. Often used in phrases like 沽券に関わる (affecting one's dignity).
そんなことをしたら、私の沽券に関わる。
If I do that, it will affect my dignity.
彼は沽券を傷つけられたと怒った。
He got angry, feeling his reputation had been damaged.
noun
Archaic legal and commercial term. Sense 2 refers to a deed of sale for land, forest, or house; sense 3 refers to the sale value or selling price. Both are historical and not used in modern Japanese.
江戸時代の沽券には、土地の売買価格が記されていた。
In the Edo period, a deed of sale recorded the selling price of the land.
面目 also means face or honor, but is more about one's public image or the appearance of honor, whereas 沽券 emphasizes the inherent dignity or credit one holds.
体面 refers to outward appearance or social face, often used in contexts of maintaining appearances. 沽券 is more about the substance of one's reputation or worth.
Originally a term for a deed of sale or its value in the Edo period, later extended metaphorically to mean one's social worth or dignity. The exact derivation of the kanji is uncertain, but the modern sense is well-established.