を経て|をへて

1. 1After going through a period of time, an experience, or a process, leading to a later result.Ex. 1
2. 2Via or by way of a place, person, or stage on a route or procedure toward a destination.Ex. 2
3. 3After a stated length of time has passed (e.g., a number of years).Ex. 4

A written, formal expression found in news, biographies, official documents, and descriptions of procedures or travel routes. It neutrally names the stage passed through, unlike 末に (result after long effort) or あげく (usually a negative outcome). It also differs from を通じて, which marks a means or a span of time.

• 1.
  末にN2「末に」matches only the sense of 「を経て」 that describes going through a process, emphasizing that the process is long and winding before a result finally emerges, while 「を経て」 states this objectively. 「末に」 attaches to the ta-form of verbs or 「名詞の」, and cannot be used for passing through places or institutions.
• 2.
  あげくN2「あげく」 resembles 「を経て」 only in the sense of reaching a result after going through a process, but it stresses that the process was long and arduous and the outcome is usually undesirable; 「を経て」 is objective, neutral, and rather formal. 「あげく」 attaches to the ta-form of verbs or 「名詞の」, and does not express passing through places or procedures.
• 3.
  を通じて / を通してN2「を通じて／を通して」 express a medium or means, or something spanning an entire period or range; 「を経て」 means going through a process or procedure before moving on to the next step, and is more formal. When something is conveyed through an intermediary, they can sometimes be interchanged, but for expressing a means only 「を通じて」 works.
• 4.
  にわたってN2「を経て」 focuses on reaching the next step only after a period of time, a stage, or via a place or step along the way; 「にわたって」 focuses on an action continuing over an entire period or spreading across an entire range, emphasizing length and breadth. Both attach to nouns and are rather formal, but they cannot be interchanged.
• 5.
  を契機にN2「を契機に」 treats the preceding item as a turning point that triggers a change, while 「を経て」 narrates processes, stages, or routes passed through in sequence and does not express a cause, so they generally cannot be interchanged. 「を契機に」 can attach to 「動詞普通形＋の」, whereas 「を経て」 attaches only to nouns.
• 6.
  上でN3When 「上で」 attaches to the ta-form of verbs or 「名詞の」, it emphasizes completing the first action and then doing the second on that basis (it also has a sense of 'in terms of...'); 「を経て」 attaches only to nouns, objectively describes a process or step passed through, is rather formal, and the two are generally not interchangeable.

末に and あげく focus on the final result after a long process, and あげく usually implies a bad one. を経て neutrally names the stage passed through. を通じて marks a means or an entire period, and にわたって stresses the extent of a span. を契機に marks a trigger for change, and 上で marks a prerequisite action before the next step.