総合的

• Reading: そうごうてき
• Romaji: sougouteki
• Kanji breakdown: 総 (sou) — general, all; 合 (gou) — combine, unite; 的 (teki) — -like, adjectival suffix
• Pronunciation: /soː.ɡoː.te.ki/

Meaning

Comprehensive; all-round; overall. Taking everything into account as a whole.

A na-adjective meaning all-encompassing or considering every aspect together. Very common in formal and academic Japanese: 総合的に判断する (to judge comprehensively), 総合的な評価 (overall evaluation). The base noun 総合 (sougou, synthesis) with the suffix 的 creates an adjective. Frequently appears in government policy, education (総合的な学習 — integrated studies), and business contexts.

Examples

1. 総合的に判断して、この案が最も適切だ。 Looking at it comprehensively, this proposal is the most appropriate.
2. 学生の能力を総合的に評価する必要がある。 It is necessary to evaluate students' abilities in a comprehensive way.
3. 総合的なサービスを提供する企業が増えている。 More and more companies are offering comprehensive services.

Usage Guide

Context: business, education, government, academia

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 総 (sou, general/all) + 合 (gou, combine/unite) + 的 (teki, -like/-istic). Literally 'in a way that brings everything together.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal