living sacrifice; sacrificial offering
Refers to a human or animal offered alive to a deity, often in historical or ritual contexts. Can be used metaphorically for someone forced to give up their life or freedom for a cause.
He was made the scapegoat for the project's failure.
In ancient times, there was a custom of offering living sacrifices to the gods.
He became a sacrifice of war.
Figurative use: a person who is made to suffer or take the blame for others, often unfairly. Common in phrases like 生贄になる (to be made a scapegoat).
He was made the scapegoat for the company's scandal.
It's unforgivable for an innocent person to be made a victim.
A girl from the village became a sacrifice to the god.
The villagers offered a sacrifice to the mountain god.
犠牲 is the everyday, general word for 'sacrifice' or 'victim' in both literal and figurative senses, while 生贄 specifically implies a living being ritually offered or a person cruelly scapegoated.
人身御供 refers specifically to a human sacrifice offered to a deity, whereas 生贄 can also refer to an animal victim or be used metaphorically for a scapegoat.
スケープゴート is a modern loanword used casually for a scapegoat in everyday or business contexts, while 生贄 carries an older, more dramatic or ritualistic tone even in its figurative use.
Standard kanji spelling for 'living sacrifice' and figurative 'victim/scapegoat'.
Kana spelling; common in everyday writing when the kanji is not needed.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common but still seen.
Ateji spelling; normally read ぎせい. Use only when the reading いけにえ is explicitly intended.
Compound of 生け (ike, 'alive', from verb 生ける) + 贄 (nie, 'offering to a god'). The kanji 贄 is a specific character for sacrificial offerings. The spelling 犠牲 is ateji, normally read ぎせい.