口止め

• Reading: くちどめ
• Romaji: kuchidome
• Kanji breakdown: 口 (kuchi) — mouth, speech; 止 (to/dome) — stop, halt
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.tɕi.do.me/

Meaning

Gag order; silencing; hushing up. The act of ordering or pressuring someone to keep silent about something.

Used as a noun or with する (口止めする) to mean 'to silence someone' or 'to swear someone to secrecy.' Often implies improper or coercive pressure to suppress information. Appears frequently in journalism and legal contexts where authorities or powerful figures attempt to prevent disclosure of inconvenient truths.

Examples

1. 上司から事故の詳細について口止めされた社員が、内部告発に踏み切った。 An employee who had been ordered by a supervisor to keep silent about the details of an accident decided to become a whistleblower.
2. 政府は記者団に対し、捜査中の案件について口止めを図ったとされる。 The government allegedly attempted to gag reporters regarding a case under investigation.
3. 金銭による口止めは法的に問題があると弁護士は指摘した。 A lawyer pointed out that paying hush money is legally problematic.

Usage Guide

Context: journalism, law, politics, corporate

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 口 (kuchi, mouth/speech) and 止め (dome, stopping). Literally 'stopping the mouth,' the term captures the act of preventing someone from speaking out.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal