民意

• 読み: みんい
• ローマ字: min'i
• 漢字の分解: 民 (min/tami) — people, citizens; 意 (i) — will, intention, meaning
• 発音: /miɴ.i/

意味

Will of the people; public opinion; popular will. The collective wishes, preferences, and judgements of the general population as expressed through elections, polls, or public discourse.

A key concept in democratic theory, often invoked to legitimise or challenge political decisions. Common phrases include 民意を反映する (to reflect the will of the people) and 民意を問う (to put something to the people / to seek a public mandate). Politicians frequently claim to represent 民意, making it a contested and strategically deployed term in political debate.

例文

1. 総選挙の結果は明確な民意を示しており、政権交代への強い期待が読み取れる。
2. 首相は解散総選挙によって民意を問う意向を示した。
3. 政策が民意を反映していないと感じた市民たちは、街頭でのデモ活動に踏み切った。

使い方ガイド

場面: politics, elections, democracy, journalism, public discourse

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Formed from 民 (min, people/citizens) and 意 (i, will/intention/meaning). A modern Sino-Japanese political term that parallels the concept of volonté générale (general will) in Western political philosophy. Became common in Meiji-era constitutional debates.

文化的背景

時代: Meiji–Contemporary

世代: All ages

社会的背景: General