also: にっけい
noun
Refers to physical punishment, often in a legal or historical context. Can include flogging, caning, or other forms of bodily penalty.
その国では肉刑が廃止された。
Corporal punishment has been abolished in that country.
肉刑は人権侵害と見なされることが多い。
Corporal punishment is often regarded as a human rights violation.
noun
punishment by mutilation
Specifically refers to punishment involving amputation or disfigurement, such as cutting off a hand or ear. Historical and severe.
古代の肉刑には手足を切断するものもあった。
Ancient corporal punishments included those that involved cutting off limbs.
体罰 is a broader term for physical punishment, often used in educational or parental contexts, while 肉刑 is more formal and legal/historical, emphasizing bodily harm as a judicial penalty.
拷問 means torture, usually for interrogation or coercion, whereas 肉刑 is a punishment imposed by authority, not necessarily for extracting information.
Compound of 肉 (flesh, body) and 刑 (punishment, penalty). The term is a Sino-Japanese word used in legal and historical contexts.