閣僚

• Reading: かくりょう
• Romaji: kakuryo
• Kanji breakdown: 閣 (kaku) — cabinet, tower; 僚 (ryō) — colleague, official
• Pronunciation: /ka.kɯ.ɾjoː/

Meaning

Cabinet minister; member of the cabinet. A minister who sits in the government's cabinet.

A noun referring to ministers who constitute the cabinet (内閣, naikaku) of a government. In Japan, 閣僚 are appointed by the Prime Minister and are collectively responsible for government policy. Common collocations include 閣僚会議 (cabinet meeting), 閣僚人事 (cabinet appointments), and 閣僚辞任 (cabinet resignation). A key term in political journalism and administrative law.

Examples

1. 首相は内閣改造に際し、主要な閣僚を留任させた。 The prime minister retained the key cabinet ministers during the cabinet reshuffle.
2. 複数の閣僚が政治資金問題で辞任を迫られた。 Multiple cabinet ministers were pressured to resign over political funding issues.
3. 今回の内閣では、女性閣僚の割合が過去最高となった。 In this cabinet, the proportion of female ministers reached a record high.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, government, journalism, law

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 閣 (kaku, cabinet/tower) — as in 内閣 — and 僚 (ryō, colleague/official). 閣 in political vocabulary refers to the cabinet, and 僚 denotes an official or colleague of similar rank.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal