公言|こうげんkougen[0]heiban (flat)

Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbdeclaration; profession
    彼かれはそのことについて何なんも知しらないと公言こうげんした。↗
    He professed to know nothing about it.
Conjugation
Dictionary form公言する(こうげんする)
Polite (masu)公言します(こうげんします)
Negative (nai)公言しない(こうげんしない)
polite (masen)公言しません(こうげんしません)
classical zu / nu公言せず・公言せぬ(こうげんせず・こうげんせぬ)
Past (ta)公言した(こうげんした)
polite (mashita)公言しました(こうげんしました)
Past negative (nakatta)公言しなかった(こうげんしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)公言しませんでした(こうげんしませんでした)
Te form公言して(こうげんして)
Potential公言できる(こうげんできる)
Passive公言される(こうげんされる)
Causative公言させる(こうげんさせる)
Causative passive公言させられる(こうげんさせられる)
Conditional (ba)公言すれば(こうげんすれば)
tara公言したら(こうげんしたら)
Volitional公言しよう(こうげんしよう)
polite (mashou)公言しましょう(こうげんしましょう)
Imperative公言しろ(こうげんしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym宣言せんげんNeutralFormal public announcement of a policy or position, as in 「独立宣言」; 「公言」 is simply stating something openly in public, not necessarily an official announcement.
  • Synonym言明げんめいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Stating one's position clearly, as in 「言明を避ける」; the point is clarity, not a public setting.
  • Related断言だんげんNeutralAsserting something flatly and positively; the emphasis is on the confident tone, not on saying it in public.
  • Related明言めいげんNeutralStating something explicitly, as in 「明言を避ける」; close to 「言明」, and like it, it does not stress a public setting.
  • Related道破どうはWrittenWritten/formal prose. Declaring a point outright, as if hitting the nail on the head; rare today—use 「断言」 instead.
  • Related確言かくげんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Asserting with full confidence; rare in modern Japanese—「断言」 is the usual word.
  • Related揚言ようげんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Deliberately proclaiming something loudly and publicly; rare today, and more flamboyant than 「公言」.
  • Antonym秘匿ひとくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Hiding or keeping something secret; the opposite of 「公言」, which is about saying things publicly.
  • Antonym内緒ないしょCasualColloquial. Keeping something to yourself and not telling others, as in 「内緒の話」; the everyday opposite of 「公言」.

Use 「公言」 for openly declaring something in public, as in 「公言してはばからない」. For formal announcements pick 「宣言」; for stating things clearly, 「明言」 or 「言明」; for confident assertions, 「断言」. 「道破」, 「確言」 and 「揚言」 are rare written words. To keep something hidden, use 「内緒」 in speech or 「秘匿」 in writing.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 公然こうぜんと人前ひとまえで言いうこと。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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