郡ぐん

noun

district; county

Only with reading ぐん

Modern administrative unit below a prefecture (都道府県) and above a city/town/village. Often used in addresses and local government contexts.

• 彼かれは千ち葉ば県けんの郡ぐんに住すんでいる。

  He lives in a district in Chiba Prefecture.

• 郡ぐんの役やく所しょで手て続つづきをした。

  I completed the procedure at the county office.

noun

ritsuryō-period district

Historical administrative unit during the ritsuryō period, consisting of 2–20 neighborhoods or townships of about 50 homes each. The reading こおり is archaic and specific to this sense.

See also: 国郡里制

• 律りつ令りょう制せいでは、郡ぐんは国くにと里さとの間あいだに位い置ちする行ぎょう政せい単たん位いだった。

  Under the ritsuryō system, the district was an administrative unit between the province and the village.

noun

commandery (in China)

Historical Chinese administrative division, equivalent to a commandery. Used in historical contexts referring to ancient China.

• 漢かん代だいの郡ぐんは、県けんの上うえに置おかれた行ぎょう政せい区く画かくである。

  In the Han dynasty, the commandery was an administrative division above the county.