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形式主義 (けいしきしゅぎ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
formalism
Refers to an excessive focus on formal rules, procedures, or outward appearances rather than substance, in contexts such as bureaucracy, art, or philosophy.
形けい 式しき 主しゅ 義ぎ 的てき な 手て 続つづ き に 時じ 間かん を 取と ら れ て しまっ た 。
We wasted time on formalistic procedures.
Kanji 義 righteousness, justice, morality Similar words 形けい 式しき 形式 means 'form' or 'format' in a neutral sense, while 形式主義 specifically refers to the ideology or attitude of prioritizing form over content.
官かん 僚りょう 主しゅ 義ぎ 官僚主義 (bureaucratism) is a related concept often overlapping with formalism in administrative contexts, but 形式主義 is broader and can apply to art, philosophy, or any domain where form is overemphasized.
Etymology Compound of 形式 (form, format) and 主義 (principle, -ism). The term is a direct calque of English 'formalism' or German 'Formalismus', entering Japanese in the late 19th or early 20th century.
