形跡|けいせきkeiseki[0]heiban (flat)

1. nountraces; evidence
   その家いえには人ひとの住すんでいる形跡けいせきはなかった。↗

   The house gave no sign of life.

• Synonym痕跡こんせきWrittenA trace or vestige left behind; broader in use than 「形跡」, which centres on signs that an act occurred and often appears in negatives. Written register.
• Synonym跡形あとかたNeutralMostly in the phrase 「跡形もなく」: not even a trace remains, stressing that something has vanished completely. Neutral register.
• Synonym跡あとWrittenA trace; the on-reading せき seldom stands alone, appearing mostly in compounds such as 「遺跡」 and 「足跡」.
• Synonym証跡しょうせきFormalTraces or evidence proving that something happened; leans toward legal and auditing usage. Formal.
• Synonym残痕ざんこんWrittenA trace or scar left remaining; a rare word, met mainly in written prose.
• Related跡せきWrittenA trace; the on-reading せき seldom stands alone, appearing mostly in compounds such as 「遺跡」 and 「足跡」.
• Related事跡じせきFormalSigns left by events, and also a person's deeds or record; rare, formal. 「形跡」 instead asks whether an act was done.

Use 「形跡」 for signs of whether an act took place, as in 「侵入した形跡はない」. For traces left behind say 「痕跡」; for vanishing without a trace say 「跡形もなく」.

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

1. 何なんか物事ものごとが行おこなわれたり、存在そんざいした跡あと。跡形（あとかた）あとかた。