既き成せい事じ実じつ

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せ

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つ

Common word

Meanings

noun

established fact; fait accompli

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Refers to a situation that has already happened and cannot be undone, often used in legal, political, or interpersonal contexts where someone creates a fact to force acceptance.

彼かれは既き成せい事じ実じつを作つくってから上じょう司しに報ほう告こくした。
He created a fait accompli and then reported it to his boss.
既き成せい事じ実じつとして認みとめざるを得えない。
We have no choice but to accept it as an established fact.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

既き成せい事じ実じつを作つくるto create a fait accompli
会かい社しゃは既き成せい事じ実じつを作つくってから、社しゃ員いんに説せつ明めいした。
The company created a fait accompli before explaining it to employees.
既き成せい事じ実じつとなるto become an established fact
その決けっ定ていはすでに既き成せい事じ実じつとなっている。
That decision has already become an established fact.
既き成せい事じ実じつを積つみ重かさねるto accumulate established facts (one after another)
政せい府ふは既き成せい事じ実じつを積つみ重かさねて、計けい画かくを進すすめた。
The government advanced its plan by accumulating one fait accompli after another.
〈事こと〉を既き成せい事じ実じつ化かするto turn something into a fait accompli
彼かれらは占せん拠きょを既き成せい事じ実じつ化かしようとした。
They tried to turn the occupation into a fait accompli.

Kanji

既previously, already, long ago
成turn into, become, get
事matter, thing, fact
実reality, truth, seed

Related words

既き定てい路ろ線せん
既成事実 refers to a fact that has already been made real and thus hard to reverse, while 既定路線 refers to a course of action already decided in advance, before any fact is created.

Opposites

未み定ていN1
既成事実 describes something already settled and irreversible, whereas 未定 describes something still undecided.

Don't confuse with

既き製せいN1
既成事実 uses 既成 (already established), which is pronounced identically to 既製 (ready-made, as in 既製品) but means something completely different.

Built from

既き成せい+事じ実じつ

Etymology

A yojijukugo compound of 既成 (already established) and 事実 (fact). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely entered Japanese as a translation of the French 'fait accompli' or a similar Western concept.