公約

• 読み: こうやく
• ローマ字: kōyaku
• 漢字の分解: 公 (kō) — public, open; 約 (yaku) — promise, pledge, agreement
• 発音: /koː.ja.kɯ/

意味

Public pledge; campaign promise; manifesto commitment. A formal promise made by a politician or party to voters regarding policy if elected.

Distinct from a private promise (約束) in that 公約 is made publicly and carries a degree of political accountability. Used with 果たす (to fulfil), 守る (to keep), 破る (to break), or 撤回する (to withdraw). マニフェスト (manifesto) is a near-synonym adopted from English, while 公約 has deeper roots in political tradition.

例文

1. 首相は選挙前の公約通りに消費税の据え置きを実行した。
2. 公約を果たせなかった与党は次の選挙で大敗を喫した。
3. 候補者は地元への企業誘致を主要な公約として掲げた。

使い方ガイド

場面: elections, politics, journalism, governance

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Sino-Japanese compound. 公 (kō) means public or open; 約 (yaku) means promise, agreement, or pledge (as in 約束). Together they denote a commitment made openly before the public, implying accountability.

文化的背景

時代: Meiji–Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Universal