生長|せいちょうseichou[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbgrowth (of a plant)
   植物しょくぶつの生長せいちょうと生産性せいさんせいは、気温きおんと湿度しつどが作り出つくりだす入り組いりくんだ関係かんけいに敏感びんかんに反応はんのうする。↗

   Plant growth and productivity react sharply to a complex combination of temperature and moisture.

• Synonym成長せいちょうNeutralThe most common word: growth of people, living things, or the economy, as in 「子供の成長」. 「生長」 mostly means plant growth, but also growing up from birth.
• Synonym生育せいいくWrittenAlso covers plant growth, but can be transitive for raising or breeding, and appears in childcare and medical contexts like 「子どもの生育」. 「生長」 is intransitive only.
• Synonym成育せいいくWrittenGrowth to maturity of people or animals, as in 「稚魚の成育」. 「生長」 mainly describes plant growth.
• Synonym発育はついくNeutralPhysical development of the body and its organs, as in 「発育がいい」; mostly for people and animals. 「生長」 mainly refers to plants.
• Synonym育つそだつNeutralA verb for living things growing up, also for skills or people being developed, as in 「すくすく育つ」. 「生長」 is a noun and leans written/formal.
• Related伸長しんちょうWrittenElongation or extension of length or force — the lengthening of plant roots and stems, or 「勢力の伸長」. 「生長」 is about growing as a whole.
• Related発達はったつNeutralDevelopment of body or mind toward a more complete state, or of technology; also the strengthening of a typhoon. 「生長」 is about plants growing, not technical progress.
• Related成熟せいじゅくNeutralFruit or grain ripening, or a moment coming ripe; the focus is on reaching a completed stage. 「生長」 is the process of growing.
• Related伸びるのびるNeutralA verb for stretching or getting longer, common in everyday speech, as in 「背が伸びる」 and 「草が伸びる」. 「生長」 leans written/formal.
• Related発展はってんNeutralExpansion and flourishing of cities, businesses, or situations, or moving to a higher stage. 「生長」 is about plants growing, not society or business.
• Related育ちそだちNeutralA noun focused on upbringing and the environment one grew up in, as in 「育ちがいい」 and 「東京育ち」. 「生長」 refers only to growing itself.
• Related生い立つおいたつWrittenA literary verb for growing up, of people or plants, as in 「生い立つ草木」; rare in modern usage. 「生長」 is a noun.
• Related長じるちょうじるWrittenWritten/formal: to grow to adulthood, as in 「長じて医者となる」; in the pattern 「～に長じる」 it means excelling at something, which 「生長」 never does.
• Related長ずるちょうずるWrittenThe older, classical form of 「長じる」: growing to adulthood or excelling at something, with an even more archaic feel. 「生長」 has no sense of excelling.
• Antonym衰退すいたいWrittenWritten/formal: waning momentum or vitality, mostly of industries and the economy, as in 「産業の衰退」. Opposes 「生長」 only as rise vs. fall; the economic contrast is 「成長」.
• Antonym縮小しゅくしょうNeutralReduction in scale or quantity, a cutback — the opposite of 「生長」's growing larger, mostly of abstract scale.

For plants, 「生長」 is the usual word for growth. For people and the economy use 「成長」, for physical development 「発育」, for growing taller 「伸びる」, and for growing up 「育つ」. 「発達」 and 「発展」 cover development and progress, 「成熟」 ripening, 「育ち」 upbringing; the antonyms are 「衰退」 and 「縮小」.

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

1. 植物しょくぶつが育そだつこと。
2. 生まれ育うまれそだつこと。
3. 物事ものごとが大おおきくなること。