議席

• Reading: ぎせき
• Romaji: giseki
• Kanji breakdown: 議 (gi) — deliberation, assembly; 席 (seki) — seat, position
• Pronunciation: /ɡi.se.ki/

Meaning

Parliamentary seat; Diet seat. A seat held by an elected representative in a legislative assembly.

Used to discuss election results, party compositions, and shifts of power in the legislature. Common collocations include 議席を獲得する (to win seats), 議席を失う (to lose seats), and 過半数の議席 (a majority of seats). Refers to both the physical seat in the chamber and the representative position it symbolises.

Examples

1. 野党は今回の選挙で議席を大幅に増やした。 The opposition party significantly increased its seats in this election.
2. 与党が過半数の議席を維持したことで、政策の継続が可能となった。 The ruling party's retention of a majority of seats made it possible to continue its policies.
3. 不祥事を受けて議員が議席を返上した。 Following a scandal, the lawmaker relinquished their parliamentary seat.

Usage Guide

Context: elections, parliament, journalism, political analysis

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 議 (gi) means deliberation or legislative assembly; 席 (seki) means seat or position. Together they refer specifically to a seat in a deliberative body.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated