免职

• Pinyin: miǎn zhí
• Hanzi breakdown: 免 = pictograph of escaping/freeing — to relieve, exempt; 职 = 耳 (ear) + 戠 (phonetic, to record) — official position, duty

Meaning

Dismissal from office; removal from a post. The formal act of relieving an official or employee of their position.

A formal administrative and political term. 免职 often implies a decision by a higher authority to remove someone from their role, sometimes as a disciplinary measure, sometimes due to reorganisation. In Chinese political contexts, 免职 is often followed by an investigation. Distinct from 辞职 (to resign voluntarily) and 解雇 (to fire, used more in commercial contexts).

Examples

1. 省委宣布对涉嫌违规违纪的两名厅级干部予以免职，并启动纪律审查程序，相关调查结果将适时向社会公布。 The provincial party committee announced the removal from office of two department-level officials suspected of violations and has launched disciplinary review procedures; the investigation results will be released to the public at an appropriate time.
2. 这位市长因在任期间多次出现重大决策失误，被上级机关依据相关法规正式免职，其职务由副市长暂代。 Because of repeated major decision-making mistakes during his term, the mayor was formally removed from office by higher authorities in accordance with relevant regulations, and the vice mayor will serve in an acting capacity.
3. 历史上不乏因直言进谏而遭到免职的官员，他们的故事成为后人敬仰的政治节操之范本。 Throughout history, there have been many officials removed from office for speaking frankly in remonstrance; their stories have become models of political integrity admired by later generations.

Usage Guide

Context: government, politics, administration, law, corporate

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 人大常委会依法批准了对该部门主要负责人的免职申请，并同步审议通过了其继任者的任命方案。(The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approved the application for removal from office of the principal responsible persons of the department, and simultaneously deliberated and approved the appointment plan for their successors.)
• 在企业治理实践中，董事会对高管的免职决定须经过严格的程序性审议，以确保权力行使的合法性与透明度。(In corporate governance practice, the board of directors' decision to remove a senior executive from their position must go through rigorous procedural deliberation to ensure the legality and transparency of the exercise of authority.)

Don't Say

• 将'免职'与'辞职'或'解雇'混用 — 免职特指由上级权力机关主动解除当事人职务，辞职是当事人自愿请辞，解雇则更常用于商业雇佣语境，须严格区分 (Do not conflate 免职 with 辞职 or 解雇 — 免职specifically means the superior authority actively removing someone from their post; 辞职 is voluntary resignation; 解雇 is more commonly used in commercial employment contexts — these must be carefully distinguished)

Origin & History

免 (to exempt, to relieve of) + 职 = 耳 (ear) + 戠 (phonetic, to record) — position, duty, office. Together: to relieve someone of their official position or duty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal