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開明 (かいめい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
civilization ; enlightenment
Refers to the process of becoming civilized or enlightened, often in a historical or philosophical sense. Can be used as a noun or as a suru-verb meaning 'to become civilized/enlightened'.
彼かれ の 思し 想そう は 人ひと 々びと を 開かい 明めい へ 導みちび い た 。
His ideas led people toward enlightenment.
Similar words 文ぶん 明めい 文明 is the more common word for 'civilization' in everyday and academic contexts. 開明 carries a nuance of 'opening to enlightenment' and is often used in historical or philosophical discussions.
啓けい 蒙もう 啓蒙 specifically means 'enlightenment' in the sense of educating or illuminating the public, often used for the European Enlightenment. 開明 is broader, encompassing both civilization and enlightenment as a state or process.
Etymology Compound of 開 (open, begin) and 明 (bright, clear). The combination suggests 'opening to brightness,' metaphorically referring to the dawn of civilization or enlightenment. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is associated with Meiji-era modernization discourse.
