名実

• Reading: めいじつ
• Romaji: meijitsu
• Kanji breakdown: 名 (mei/na) — name, reputation; 実 (jitsu/mi) — reality, substance
• Pronunciation: /me̞id͡ʑit͡sɯ/

Meaning

Name and reality; nominal and actual; in both name and substance.

A noun compound expressing the correspondence — or gap — between what something is called and what it actually is. Most commonly appears in 名実ともに (both in name and in reality), indicating that something fully and genuinely lives up to its title or reputation. The absence of that alignment is implied when 名実 appears alone in critical writing.

Examples

1. 長年の努力の末、彼女は名実ともにチームのリーダーとなった。 After years of effort, she became the team's leader in both name and reality.
2. 名実が伴わない肩書きは、かえって信頼を損なうことがある。 A title that is not matched by substance can actually undermine trust.
3. 彼は名実ともに日本最高の外科医として広く認められている。 He is widely recognised as Japan's finest surgeon in both name and reality.

Usage Guide

Context: leadership, formal writing, evaluation, politics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 名 (name, reputation) and 実 (reality, substance). Derived from classical Chinese, where the correspondence between name and reality was a central topic in ancient philosophy.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated