任意

• 読み: にんい
• ローマ字: nin'i
• 漢字の分解: 任 (nin/maka) — entrust, leave to; 意 (i) — intention, will, meaning
• 発音: /ni.ɴ.i/

意味

Optional; voluntary; arbitrary; discretionary; at one's discretion.

A na-adjective and noun meaning 'at one's choosing' or 'optional.' Used across many fields: in law, 任意の取り調べ (voluntary questioning); in maths, 任意の点 (an arbitrary point); in forms, 任意項目 (optional field). Also appears in compound nouns: 任意保険 (optional/voluntary insurance). Formal and precise — preferred in official, technical, and academic contexts over more casual alternatives like 自由 (jiyū, free).

例文

1. この項目は任意なので記入しなくても構いません。
2. 任意の数字を一つ選んでください。
3. 警察から任意で事情を聞かれた。

使い方ガイド

場面: legal, academic, forms and documents

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From Sino-Japanese: 任 (nin, entrust/leave to) + 意 (i, intention/will). Together they form 'left to one's will' — something decided at the individual's own discretion rather than being mandatory.

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Professional