noun
Literary or poetic term for the mundane, transient world we live in, often contrasted with the afterlife, the world of the dead, or an idealized realm. Compare 現世 (げんせ), which is more common in everyday or Buddhist contexts.
See also: 現世 (げんせ)
うつし世の儚さを詠んだ和歌。
A waka poem that sings of the transience of this world.
彼はうつし世を離れたような静けさの中で暮
He lived in a quietness as if he had left this world behind.
げんせ is the standard Buddhist term for 'this world' (as opposed to the afterlife), and is more common in everyday religious or philosophical contexts. うつしよ is a literary, often poetic synonym.
この世 is the most common and neutral word for 'this world'. うつしよ carries a more classical, literary nuance.
From うつし (現し, 'real, actual') + 世 (よ, 'world'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in classical Japanese literature to refer to the tangible, present world.