著しく（いちじるしく、ichijirushiku）
- remarkably

The Japanese word 著しく, read いちじるしく, means "remarkably," "significantly," "considerably," or "very much." It indicates a high degree or extent of something, often implying a noticeable or substantial change or difference. It can also describe something that is clear or obvious. 著しく emphasizes a strong and sometimes surprising degree of something.

⚫︎ 彼の業績は著しく評価された。 Translation: His achievements were evaluated remarkably. ⚫︎ 天候が著しく悪化し始めた。 Translation: The weather started to deteriorate significantly. ⚫︎ この問題は著しく複雑である。 Translation: This problem is considerably complex.

著しく is used as an adverb to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. It's often used in formal writing and speech, such as in business reports, academic papers, or formal announcements. It provides emphasis and highlights the importance or magnitude of the described situation or quality. It is less common in casual conversation.

著しく is typically written in kanji as 著しく, but sometimes, for younger readers or in less formal contexts, it might be written entirely in hiragana as いちじるしく. The okurigana is always "しく".

⚫︎ 大いに (おおいに): greatly, very much. ⚫︎ 非常に (ひじょうに): extremely, very. ⚫︎ 甚だ (はなはだ): very, extremely (often used in formal writing). ⚫︎ 大幅に (おおはばに): drastically, substantially. ⚫︎ 著しい (いちじるしい): (adjective form of 著しく) remarkable, significant.

⚫︎ わずかに (わずかに): slightly, a little. ⚫︎ 少し (すこし): a little, a few. ⚫︎ 僅かに (わずかに): slightly, a little. ⚫︎ 些か (いささか): a little, slightly.

この二つの企業の業績には著しい差が見られる。 ・Translation: A significant difference can be seen in the performance of these two companies. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the adjective form 著しい, emphasizing the substantial gap between the two companies' performances.

技術の進歩は著しく私たちの生活を変えた。 ・Translation: Technological advancements have significantly changed our lives. ・Explanation: The sentence highlights how the progress of technology has greatly impacted daily life.

The word 著しい is derived from the verb 著す（あらわす）, which means "to show," "to express," or "to write." The "しく" is a grammatical ending that forms an adverb from an adjective (in this case, from the adjective 著しい). The original meaning of the character 著 conveys the idea of something being evident or clear, which connects to the core meaning of 著しく as something being strikingly apparent or significant.