Refers to a Chinese character that has been officially simplified, as used in mainland China. Compare with 簡体字, which is the more common term for simplified Chinese characters as a system.
See also: 簡体字
Simplified Chinese characters are used in mainland China.
What is the original traditional character for this simplified character?
繁体字 are traditional Chinese characters, the opposite of simplified characters.
From 簡化 (simplification) + 字 (character). The term is used in Japanese to refer to simplified Chinese characters, though 簡体字 is more common.