棲み分け

• 読み: すみわけ
• ローマ字: sumiwake
• 漢字の分解: 棲 (sei/su) — to inhabit (of animals); 分 (bun/wa) — division, separation
• 発音: /sɯ.mi.wa.ke/

意味

Coexistence through niche differentiation; ecological separation; living apart without direct competition.

Originally a biology term describing how different species avoid competition by occupying different ecological niches. In modern usage, 棲み分け is widely extended to describe how competing companies, political factions, or social groups find distinct market segments or roles to avoid direct conflict. Often written 住み分け in non-biological contexts.

例文

1. 二大政党は支持基盤の棲み分けができており、競合が少ない。
2. 格安スマホとハイエンド機種は価格帯での棲み分けが進んだ。
3. 異なる種が棲み分けることで生態系のバランスが保たれる。

使い方ガイド

場面: biology, business, politics, society

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From 棲む (to dwell, to inhabit — used of animals) and 分け (separation, division). Originally coined in ecology, the term has been productively borrowed into business and social analysis in contemporary Japanese.

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal