連帯責任

• Reading: れんたいせきにん
• Romaji: rentai sekinin
• Kanji breakdown: 連 (ren) — linked, continuous | 帯 (tai) — to carry, wear | 責 (seki) — to blame | 任 (nin) — duty, responsibility
• Pronunciation: /ɾen.ta.i.se.ki.nin/

Meaning

Joint responsibility; collective liability; a situation where all members of a group share responsibility for an act or outcome.

In law, 連帯責任 (also 連帯債務 in contract law) means that each member of a group is individually responsible for the full obligation — a creditor can pursue any one member for the entire debt. In everyday social usage, particularly in schools and sports teams, it describes the practice of punishing the entire group for one member's misconduct, which is common in Japanese group culture but increasingly debated as pedagogically problematic.

Examples

1. 一人が規則を破ったため、クラス全体が連帯責任として放課後に居残りとなった。 Because one person broke the rules, the entire class was held jointly responsible and made to stay behind after school.
2. 複数の業者が共同で契約した場合、連帯責任として全員が債務を負う。 When multiple contractors have entered into a joint contract, all of them bear the debt under joint liability.
3. チームの誰かがミスを犯せば連帯責任を問われる仕組みを見直すべきだという意見がある。 There are opinions that the system whereby the whole team is held jointly responsible if any member makes a mistake should be reconsidered.

Usage Guide

Context: law, education, sports, business, contracts

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Compound of 連帯 (rentai — solidarity, joint; 連 'linked' + 帯 'to wear/carry') and 責任 (sekinin — responsibility; 責 'to blame' + 任 'duty'). The term reflects collective solidarity in bearing accountability — both in its cooperative and coercive dimensions.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal