肉類|にくるいnikurui[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. noun(kinds of) meat
   野菜やさいでも肉類にくるいでも、よく噛かんで食たべることが何なんよりも大切たいせつである。↗

   It is most important to chew your food, whether vegetable or meat, before you swallow it.

• Synonym食肉しょくにくWrittenWritten/formal term for meat as food, common in industry and statistics, e.g. 「食肉加工」; 「肉類」 stresses the category itself.
• SynonymミートNeutralNeutral loanword for meat, seen mostly in set compounds like 「ミートソース」 and 「ミートボール」; rarely used alone — say 「肉」 instead.
• Synonym肉にくNeutralThe everyday, neutral word for meat and the most general choice; 「肉類」 is the term for grouping various meats together as a class.

For meat in general say 「肉」. Use 「肉類」 when classifying meats, e.g. in diet talk like 「肉類を控える」; 「食肉」 suits industry and statistics, e.g. 「食肉加工」; 「ミート」 appears in loanword compounds.

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

1. 食用しょくようとなる鳥獣ちょうじゅうなどの肉にくの類たぐい。