処刑|しょけいshokei[0]heiban (flat)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbexecution
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 処刑する（しょけいする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 処刑します（しょけいします） |
| Negative (nai) | 処刑しない（しょけいしない） |
| polite (masen) | 処刑しません（しょけいしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 処刑せず・処刑せぬ（しょけいせず・しょけいせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 処刑した（しょけいした） |
| polite (mashita) | 処刑しました（しょけいしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 処刑しなかった（しょけいしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 処刑しませんでした（しょけいしませんでした） |
| Te form | 処刑して（しょけいして） |
| Potential | 処刑できる（しょけいできる） |
| Passive | 処刑される（しょけいされる） |
| Causative | 処刑させる（しょけいさせる） |
| Causative passive | 処刑させられる（しょけいさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 処刑すれば（しょけいすれば） |
| tara | 処刑したら（しょけいしたら） |
| Volitional | 処刑しよう（しょけいしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 処刑しましょう（しょけいしましょう） |
| Imperative | 処刑しろ（しょけいしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Related死刑しけいNeutralRefers to the death penalty itself as a punishment, as in 「死刑判決」; 「処刑」 is the act of carrying it out.
- Related極刑きょっけいWrittenA written, formal word for the heaviest penalty, death, with a weightier ring than 「死刑」; often in 「極刑に処す」. It names the penalty, not its execution.
- Related刑罰けいばつNeutralAn umbrella term for the penalties the state imposes; 「処刑」 refers specifically to carrying them out, above all execution.
- Related刑戮けいりくWrittenAn archaic written word for punishment and execution; rarely seen in modern Japanese.
- Related仕置きしおきNeutralIn the Edo period this meant execution; today it mostly means discipline or teaching someone a lesson, and sounds old-fashioned.
- Relatedお仕置きおしおきCasualColloquial: nowadays it means punishing a naughty child, e.g. a spanking; it means execution only in historical contexts.
- Related天罰てんばつNeutralPunishment or retribution sent down from heaven, not an act of the justice system.
- Related天誅てんちゅうWrittenWritten word for heaven's punishment, or for killing evildoers on heaven's behalf; the latter is famous as a slogan of late-Edo assassins.
- Related刑するけいするWrittenLiterary verb meaning to impose a penalty, especially death; rare in modern usage.
- Related誅するちゅうするWrittenLiterary verb for putting a criminal or traitor to death; rare today.
- Related戮するりくするWrittenLiterary verb meaning to kill or execute; rare today, with a brutal tone.
- Antonym赦免しゃめんWrittenAntonym: pardoning an offense; the opposite of 「処刑」.
- Antonym恩赦おんしゃWrittenAntonym: remitting all or part of a finalized sentence by government decree; the opposite of carrying out punishment.
Use 「処刑」 for carrying out a penalty, especially an execution. Name the penalty itself with 「死刑」 or 「極刑」, penalties in general with 「刑罰」, and punishing a child with 「お仕置き」. 「天罰」 and 「天誅」 are divine punishment, and the literary verbs 「刑する」「誅する」「戮する」 are rare today. The opposite of executing a sentence is 「恩赦」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
