卓抜

• Reading: たくばつ
• Romaji: takubatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 卓 (taku) — eminent, outstanding, table; 抜 (batsu/nu) — surpass, pull out, pre-eminent
• Pronunciation: /ta.kɯ.ba.t͡sɯ/

Meaning

Outstanding; pre-eminent; markedly superior. Describes a quality, skill, or person that stands out clearly and measurably above the rest.

A na-adjective combining 卓 (taku, eminent/outstanding) and 抜 (batsu, to surpass/to stand out). 卓抜した才能 (outstanding talent) and 卓抜なリーダーシップ (exceptional leadership) are common patterns. More formal and literary than 優れた; 卓抜 implies a clear, measurable gap between the subject and its peers rather than a merely relative excellence. Frequently used in formal evaluations, academic writing, and historical assessments of leaders, artists, or scholars.

Examples

1. 卓抜した記憶力と分析力を持つ彼は、難解な資格試験をひと夏で突破した。 Armed with outstanding memory and analytical ability, he cleared a notoriously difficult professional examination in a single summer.
2. 卓抜なリーダーシップを発揮した彼女は、混乱期にあった組織を短期間で立て直した。 Demonstrating exceptional leadership, she turned around an organisation that had been in turmoil in a remarkably short time.
3. その画家の技術は同時代の誰とも比べものにならないほど卓抜していた。 That painter's technique was so pre-eminent that it simply could not be compared with any of his contemporaries.

Usage Guide

Context: academic writing, biography, formal evaluation, history, arts

Tone: positive

Origin & History

Compound of 卓 (taku, eminent/table-top — elevated above the ordinary) and 抜 (batsu, to pull out/to surpass). The image is of something pulled upward above the level of its surroundings, making it conspicuously pre-eminent. Borrowed from classical Chinese literary usage.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated