類推

• Reading: るいすい
• Romaji: ruisui
• Kanji breakdown: 類 (rui) — similar, category; 推 (sui) — infer, surmise
• Pronunciation: /ɾɯisɯi/

Meaning

Analogy; inference by analogy. Drawing a conclusion about one thing by comparing it to something similar.

A noun (also used as a suru-verb: 類推する) referring to the cognitive process of inferring unknown properties from known ones by means of similarity. Central in logic, linguistics, and legal reasoning (where 類推解釈 — analogical interpretation — plays an important role). Also used in everyday speech for educated guessing.

Examples

1. 過去の事例から類推すると、今回も同様の結果になるはずだ。 By analogy with past cases, this time should yield a similar result.
2. 子どもは言語を類推によって習得し、文法規則を自然に内面化する。 Children acquire language through analogy, naturally internalizing grammatical rules.
3. 法律の類推解釈には慎重を要するという意見が法曹界にはある。 There is an opinion in the legal profession that analogical interpretation of the law requires great caution.

Usage Guide

Context: logic, linguistics, law, education

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

From 類 (similar, class, category) and 推 (to infer, to surmise). The combination denotes reasoning from a category of similar cases to a conclusion about the instance at hand.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated