also: きんじ
A somewhat formal or literary term for a sense of personal pride and dignity; often used in contexts of maintaining one's honor or self-worth.
He takes pride in his work.
She never lost her dignity no matter the situation.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading きょうじ is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common than きょうじ.
Variant kanji form; less common than 矜持.
Rare variant with alternate reading.
The kanji 矜 means 'pride' or 'self-respect', and 持 means 'to hold'. The compound literally means 'holding pride'. The alternate kanji 恃 also means 'to rely on', giving a similar nuance. The reading きょうじ is the standard on'yomi; きんじ is an alternative reading.