否決する

• Reading: ひけつする
• Romaji: hiketsu suru
• Kanji breakdown: 否 (hi) — negate, deny; 決 (ketsu) — decide, determine
• Pronunciation: /hi.ke.tsɯ.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To reject; to vote down; to defeat a bill or proposal through a formal decision.

A Group 3 (suru) compound verb combining 否決 (rejection/voting down) with する. Used primarily in parliamentary, legislative, and formal organisational contexts to describe the official rejection of a proposal or bill by vote. The opposite is 可決する (to approve/pass). Often appears in passive form 否決される.

Examples

1. 提出された法案は国会で否決された。 The submitted bill was voted down in the Diet.
2. 予算案が否決されて計画が白紙に戻った。 The budget proposal was rejected and the plan went back to square one.
3. 委員会で提案が否決される可能性が高い。 There's a strong possibility the proposal will be voted down in committee.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, parliament, committees, governance

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 否 (hi, negate/deny) + 決 (ketsu, decide/determine). Literally 'decide negatively,' describing the formal act of rejecting a proposal through an official decision.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated