Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

独善主義 (どくぜんしゅぎ, dokuzenshugi) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

独どく善ぜん主しゅ義ぎ

ど

く

ぜ

ん

しゅ

ぎ

Meanings

1

self-righteousness

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›

A yojijukugo referring to the attitude of believing one's own views are absolutely correct, often with a negative connotation.

彼かれの独どく善ぜん主しゅ義ぎには

うんざり

する

。

I'm fed up with his self-righteousness.

独どく善ぜん主しゅ義ぎに陥おちいらないように気きをつけたい。

I want to be careful not to fall into self-righteousness.

Kanji

独single, alone, spontaneously
善virtuous, good, goodness
主lord, chief, master
義righteousness, justice, morality

Related words

独どく善ぜん的てき
An adjective meaning 'self-righteous' or 'self-justifying', used to describe a person or attitude, while 独善主義 is the noun for the ideology or stance itself.

Built from

独どく善ぜん+主しゅ義ぎ

Etymology

Compound of 独善 (self-righteousness, from 独 'alone' and 善 'good') and 主義 (principle, -ism). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows the pattern of many Meiji-era coined terms for Western concepts.