na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun
Formal word for physical uncleanness or ritual, religious, or moral impurity; often more serious or ceremonial than everyday 汚い.
In the past, there was a way of thinking that regarded death as impure.
In the ritual, unclean water is not used.
Euphemistic noun for a toilet room, usually in the form ご不浄. It sounds old-fashioned or very indirect compared with modern トイレ or お手洗い.
See also: ご不浄
The lavatory is at the end of the hallway.
Archaic noun sense based on the idea of ritual impurity; modern Japanese normally uses 月経, 生理, or other terms instead.
In old writing, 不浄 can refer to menstruation.
Archaic noun sense for excrement; not a normal modern everyday term for feces.
In old usage, 不浄 can mean feces.
Before the ritual, the Shinto priest purified himself of impurity.
My grandmother still says 'I'm going to the lavatory' using this old-fashioned expression.
People in the past believed that touching something impure would defile them.
穢れ focuses on spiritual, ritual, or moral defilement, whereas 不浄 also covers ordinary physical uncleanness and has special euphemistic senses like toilet or menstruation.
Standard kanji spelling. The toilet sense usually appears with the honorific prefix as ご不浄.
Sino-Japanese compound written with 不, 'not,' and 浄, 'clean; pure.' The spelling directly reflects the core meaning 'not clean or pure.'