権化

• Reading: ごんげ
• Romaji: gonge
• Kanji breakdown: 権 (gon/ken) — temporary manifestation, authority; 化 (ke/ka) — transform, manifest
• Pronunciation: /ɡo.ŋ.ɡe/

Meaning

Incarnation; embodiment; avatar of a quality or deity.

A noun originally denoting a Buddhist concept: a Buddha or bodhisattva appearing in human form to save sentient beings. In modern usage, it has broadened to mean the living embodiment or personification of any abstract quality — often negative (悪の権化, 'the incarnation of evil') but sometimes neutral or positive.

Examples

1. 彼は欲望の権化のように、金銭だけを追い続けた。 He was the very embodiment of greed, chasing nothing but money.
2. その独裁者は、腐敗と恐怖の権化として歴史に刻まれている。 That dictator is remembered in history as the incarnation of corruption and terror.
3. 彼女はプロ意識の権化で、どんな状況でも手を抜かない。 She is the epitome of professionalism, never cutting corners no matter the situation.

Usage Guide

Context: rhetoric, literature, religion, character description

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Originally a Buddhist term combining 権 (gon, temporary/expedient) and 化 (ge/ke, transformation/manifestation). A deity or Buddha temporarily taking a physical form. The term entered secular use in the Edo period.

Cultural Context

Era: Buddhist/Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated