潔白（けっぱく、keっpaku）
- innocence

The Japanese word 潔白 (けっぱく - keppaku) primarily means "innocence," "purity," "blamelessness," or "spotless." It implies a state of being free from guilt, wrongdoing, or any kind of impurity. It can refer to a person's character, their actions, or even the state of something, like a surface. It strongly conveys the idea of having a clean record and being above reproach.

⚫︎ 彼は潔白を主張した。 Translation: He asserted his innocence. ⚫︎ その事件で、彼は潔白であることが証明された。 Translation: In that case, he was proven innocent. ⚫︎ 彼女の潔白さは疑う余地がない。 Translation: Her innocence is beyond doubt.

You use 潔白 in formal and informal situations, especially when discussing someone's integrity, moral standing, or a lack of wrongdoing. It’s a versatile word used in legal contexts (e.g., claiming innocence), when describing someone's character, or when talking about something being pure or untainted. It’s less common in casual everyday conversations compared to its more frequent usage in news reports, formal settings, or when discussing someone’s ethical behavior.

潔白 is written using the kanji 潔 (ketsu - clean, pure) and 白 (haku - white, pure, innocent). The reading is けっぱく (keppaku) in hiragana. There are no other standard ways to write this word. Okurigana (hiragana suffixes) are not used in 潔白 itself; however, the related verb 潔白にする (けっぱくにする - keppaku ni suru) means “to clear someone’s name,” and uses okurigana.

⚫︎ 無実 (むじつ - mujitsu): innocence, not guilty ⚫︎ 清廉 (せいれん - seiren): integrity, honesty ⚫︎ 純粋 (じゅんすい - junnsui): purity, innocence ⚫︎ 無垢 (むく - muku): innocence, purity

⚫︎ 有罪 (ゆうざい - yuuzai): guilty ⚫︎ 汚職 (おしょく - oshoku): corruption ⚫︎ 不正 (ふせい - fusei): injustice, wrongdoing ⚫︎ 罪 (つみ - tsumi): crime, guilt

彼はその疑惑に対して《潔白を証明するために、徹底的に調査を求めた。》 ・Translation: He requested a thorough investigation to prove his innocence regarding the suspicions. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 潔白 is used in situations where someone is defending against accusations.

彼女は人々の前で自分の《潔白を保つために、どんなことでもする覚悟だった。》 ・Translation: She was prepared to do anything to maintain her innocence in front of everyone. ・Explanation: This shows how 潔白 can relate to maintaining one's reputation and integrity.

The etymology of 潔白 comes from the combination of the kanji 潔 (ketsu) meaning "clean" or "pure" and 白 (haku) meaning "white" or "pure." The combined meaning evokes the image of something being completely pure and free from any taint.