閨けい閥ばつ

け

い

ば

つ

Meanings

clan; family clique; marriage-based faction

Refers to a powerful family group or political clique bound together by marriage ties. Often used in historical or political contexts, such as 閨閥政治 (marriage-alliance politics).

彼かれは有ゆう力りょくな政せい治じ家かの閨けい閥ばつに属ぞくしている。
He belongs to the marriage-based clique of an influential politician.
戦せん前ぜんの日本にほんでは、閨けい閥ばつが政せい界かいで大おおきな力ちからを持もっていた。
In prewar Japan, marriage-based family cliques held great power in political circles.

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Kanji

閨bedroom
閥clique, lineage, pedigree

Related words

派は閥ばつ
派閥 is a general term for a faction or clique within an organization, not necessarily based on marriage ties. 閨閥 specifically implies a faction formed through marital alliances.
一いち族ぞく
一族 means a family or clan in a broad sense, including blood relatives. 閨閥 emphasizes the political or social power derived from marriage connections rather than pure bloodline.

Word family

閨けい閥ばつ政せい治じ
government by the ruler's in-laws; cronyism through marriage ties

Etymology

Compound of 閨 (けい, 'bedroom; private quarters', implying marriage) and 閥 (ばつ, 'clan; faction'). The term likely emerged in the context of political and social alliances formed through marriage, especially in pre-modern and early modern Japan.