肯定（こうてい、koutei）
- affirmation

The Japanese word 肯定 (こうてい) primarily means "affirmation," "agreement," "approval," or "positive." It signifies accepting something as true or valid, or expressing support for an idea or proposal. It can be used to describe both mental acceptance and outward actions of approval. The core meaning revolves around acknowledging something in a positive way.

⚫︎ 彼の意見を肯定します。 Translation: I approve of his opinion. ⚫︎ その提案は肯定的に評価された。 Translation: The proposal was evaluated positively. ⚫︎ 彼女は彼の行動を全面的に肯定した。 Translation: She completely approved of his actions.

⚫︎ 肯定 is used in various contexts, including discussions, debates, and formal settings. ⚫︎ It can describe a person's inner state (e.g., agreeing with an idea) or their outward actions (e.g., expressing support). ⚫︎ It often relates to judgments, evaluations, and decisions. ⚫︎ The word is useful when expressing agreement, approval, or a positive assessment of something. You can use it in business or daily conversation. ⚫︎ The form 肯定する is often used as a verb meaning "to affirm," "to approve," or "to accept."

⚫︎ The word 肯定 is written in kanji as 肯定. ⚫︎ The reading is こうてい in hiragana. ⚫︎ The okurigana is typically not used in the noun form 肯定. ⚫︎ However, when using the verb form 肯定する, you will see the する which acts as a verb.

⚫︎ 賛成 (さんせい): Agreement; approval ⚫︎ 同意 (どうい): Agreement; consent ⚫︎ 承認 (しょうにん): Approval; recognition ⚫︎ 認める (みとめる): To recognize; to acknowledge; to approve

⚫︎ 否定 (ひてい): Denial; negation; rejection ⚫︎ 反対 (はんたい): Opposition; objection ⚫︎ 拒否 (きょひ): Refusal; rejection ⚫︎ 否認 (ひにん): Denial; disavowal

私は彼の努力を肯定し、高く評価します。 ・Translation: I affirm his efforts and highly appreciate them. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the speaker is expressing approval and appreciation for someone's efforts. The word 肯定 emphasizes that it is a positive assessment.

その新しい政策は多くの人々に肯定的に受け入れられました。 ・Translation: That new policy was positively received by many people. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the positive reception of a new policy, using 肯定 to indicate the positive evaluation by the people.

The word 肯定 is a compound word formed from two kanji: 肯 (こう) which means "to agree, to consent" or "to be pleased with," and 定 (てい) which means "to decide, to determine." Together, the characters combine to mean "to affirm," "to confirm," or "to establish something as correct."