世せ態たい

also: せいたい

せ

た

い

Meanings

1

state of society; social conditions

A somewhat formal or literary term for the overall condition or trends of society. Often used in discussions of social issues or historical context.

当とう時じの世せ態たいを反はん映えいした小しょう説せつだ。
It's a novel that reflects the social conditions of that time.
世せ態たいの変へん化かに伴ともない、人ひと々びとの価か値ち観かんも変かわった。
Along with changes in the state of society, people's values also changed.

See all 4 example sentences ›

Kanji

世generation, world, society
態attitude, condition, figure

Related words

世せ相そう
世相 is more common and refers to the current social situation or trends, while 世態 is more formal and often implies a broader, more structural view of society.
社しゃ会かい情じょう勢せい
社会情勢 is a more analytical term for social conditions, often used in news or reports, whereas 世態 has a slightly literary or historical nuance.

Word family

世せ態たい人にん情じょう
contemporary customs and human nature; the ways of the world and people's lives

Written forms

世態Usage100%
- せたい
  Standard kanji form. The reading せいたい is also valid but less common.
- せいたい
  Alternate reading; せたい is more common.
せいたい

Etymology

Compound of 世 (world, society) and 態 (condition, state). The reading せたい is the standard on'yomi, while せいたい is a less common variant.