公然

• Reading: こうぜん
• Romaji: kouzen
• Kanji breakdown: 公 (kou) — public, official; 然 (zen) — so, thus, appearance
• Pronunciation: /ko.ɯ.ze.ɴ/

Meaning

Open; public; overt. Done or stated openly without concealment.

A no-adjective and adverb describing something done openly and without any attempt to hide it. Often used for actions that might be expected to be private or concealed: 公然と批判する (to criticise openly), 公然の秘密 (an open secret), 公然わいせつ (indecent exposure — a legal term). Carries a nuance of boldness or brazenness when the openness itself is surprising or noteworthy.

Examples

1. 彼は上司を公然と批判して問題になった。 He publicly criticized his boss and it became a problem.
2. それは業界では公然の秘密として知られている。 It's known as an open secret in the industry.
3. 公然と嘘をつく政治家に国民は怒りを感じた。 Citizens were outraged by the politician who openly told lies.

Usage Guide

Context: news, law, politics, social commentary

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 公 (kou, public/official) + 然 (zen, so/thus/appearance). Literally 'in a public manner,' where 然 adds the sense of a visible state or condition.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal