政せい変へん

せ

い

へ

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

political upheaval; coup d'état; change of government

Refers to a sudden, often disruptive change in political leadership or system, ranging from a coup to a major government reshuffle. Commonly used in news reports.

その国くにでは軍ぐん事じ政せい変へんが起おきた。
A military coup took place in that country.
政せい変へんの後あと、新しん政せい権けんが発ほっ足そくした。
After the political upheaval, a new administration was launched.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

政せい変へんが起おこるa political upheaval occurs
隣りん国ごくで大おおきな政せい変へんが起おこった。
A major political upheaval occurred in the neighboring country.
政せい変へんを起おこすto trigger a political upheaval
軍ぐんのクーデターが政せい変へんを起おこした。
A military coup triggered a political upheaval.
〈場ば所しょ〉で政せい変へんが起おきるa political upheaval breaks out in a place
その国くにで政せい変へんが起おきて、大だい統とう領りょうが国こく外がいへ逃のがれた。
A political upheaval broke out in that country, and the president fled abroad.

Expressions

明めい治じ十じゅう四よ年ねんの政せい変へんMeiji 14 political upheaval; ousting of Ōkuma Shigenobu and his supporters (1881)

Kanji

政politics, government
変unusual, change, strange

Related words

クーデター
クーデター specifically denotes a violent or illegal seizure of power, while 政変 more broadly covers any major political change, violent or not.
革かく命めいN2
革命 implies a fundamental social or ideological revolution, whereas 政変 focuses narrowly on the change in political leadership itself.
政せい権けん交こう代たい
政権交代 is the neutral term for a routine, often peaceful change of ruling party or administration, while 政変 suggests a more sudden or turbulent upheaval.

Don't confuse with

政せい権けんN1
政権 means the government or administration in power itself, while 政変 refers to the event of that power changing hands.

Etymology

Compound of 政 (political affairs) and 変 (change, upheaval). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is a straightforward Sino-Japanese formation.