形骸

• Reading: けいがい
• Romaji: keigai
• Kanji breakdown: 形 (kei/kata) — form, shape; 骸 (gai/mukuro) — skeleton, remains, body
• Pronunciation: /keːɡai/

Meaning

Mere shell; skeleton; hollow form. Something that retains its outward appearance but has lost its original substance or function.

Used in formal and analytical contexts to describe institutions, laws, or systems that still exist in name but have been emptied of their original purpose or vitality. The metaphor comes from a skeleton or empty husk — the outer form survives but the life within is gone.

Examples

1. その条約はもはや形骸に過ぎず、拘束力は失われていた。 The treaty had become nothing more than a shell, having lost all binding force.
2. 長年の形式主義により、委員会は形骸と化してしまった。 Years of rigid formalism turned the committee into a hollow shell.
3. 規則だけが残り、精神が失われれば、それは形骸でしかない。 If only the rules remain and the spirit is lost, it is nothing but an empty shell.

Usage Guide

Context: law, politics, institutions, criticism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

Compound of 形 (kei, form/shape) and 骸 (gai, skeleton/remains). Together they evoke the image of a body reduced to bones — form without life.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated