政権

• Reading: せいけん
• Romaji: seiken
• Kanji breakdown: 政 (sei) — government, politics, administration; 権 (ken) — authority, power, right
• Pronunciation: /seː.keɴ/

Meaning

Political administration; political power. The authority or right to govern a country.

A noun referring to the governmental administration in power or the authority to govern. Often used in compounds like 政権交代 (seiken koutai, change of government) and 連立政権 (renritsu seiken, coalition government). More specific than 政府 (seifu, government) as it emphasises who holds power.

Examples

1. 新しい政権が発足してから半年がたった。 It has been six months since the new administration took office.
2. 政権交代を求める声が国民の間で高まっている。 Calls for a change of government are growing among the public.
3. 長期政権の安定性について議論が続いている。 Debate continues over the stability of long-term administrations.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, government

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 政 (sei, government/politics) + 権 (ken, authority/right). Literally 'governmental authority' — the power to administer a state.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal