著しい

• Reading: いちじるしい
• Romaji: ichijirushii
• Kanji breakdown: 著 (ichijiru/cho) — conspicuous, remarkable, to author
• Pronunciation: /i.tɕi.dʑi.ɾɯ.ɕiː/

Meaning

Striking; remarkable; considerable. Describes a noticeably large degree of change or difference.

An i-adjective used to describe something conspicuously significant — rapid growth, dramatic decline, or notable improvement. Common in formal and written contexts such as news reports and academic papers. Often collocates with 成長, 変化, 低下, 進歩. The adverb form 著しく is equally frequent.

Examples

1. この地域の人口は著しく減少している。 The population of this region is declining remarkably.
2. 彼女の語学力には著しい進歩が見られた。 Considerable progress was seen in her language ability.
3. 技術の著しい発展が社会を変えた。 The striking advancement of technology transformed society.

Usage Guide

Context: news, academic writing, reports, statistics

Tone: objective

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 著 means 'conspicuous, remarkable, to stand out.' The しい ending is a classical adjective suffix indicating the quality of being striking or notable.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated