委託

• Reading: いたく
• Romaji: itaku
• Kanji breakdown: 委 (i) — entrust, leave to; 託 (taku) — entrust, request, consign
• Pronunciation: /i.ta.kɯ/

Meaning

Entrusting; consignment; commission; outsourcing.

A formal term for entrusting a task, goods, or responsibility to another party. Very common in business and legal contexts — outsourcing work (業務委託), consigning goods for sale (委託販売), or placing something in someone's care. Used as both noun and する verb.

Examples

1. 会社は清掃業務を外部に委託している。 The company outsources its cleaning operations to an outside party.
2. 委託販売の契約を結ぶ前に条件を確認してください。 Please confirm the terms before signing a consignment sales contract.
3. このプロジェクトは専門家に委託することになった。 It was decided that this project would be entrusted to specialists.

Usage Guide

Context: business, legal, contracts

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Compound of 委 (i, entrust/leave to) + 託 (taku, entrust/request). Both characters share the meaning of entrusting, creating emphasis on the act of handing over responsibility.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional