先せん鋭えい

Don't confuse with

• 前ぜん衛えい

  先鋭 and 前衛 sound almost identical and both suggest being at the cutting edge, but 先鋭 describes a sharp, radical stance or person, while 前衛 names the leading group or position itself.

Word family

• 先せん鋭えい化か

  radicalization; becoming a radical · intensification; aggravation; becoming acute · sharpening (of an image); narrowing (of a peak)

Written forms

• 先せん鋭えいUsage75%

  Standard kanji spelling; the most common form in modern usage.

• 尖せん鋭えいUsage25%

  Alternate kanji spelling; less common but still encountered.

Etymology

Compound of 先 (sen, 'tip, ahead') and 鋭 (ei, 'sharp, pointed'). The combination conveys the idea of being at the cutting edge or sharply advanced.