The kanji 威 primarily conveys the sense of "intimidating power," "authority," "dignity," or "majesty." It often implies a presence that commands respect and inspires awe, either through physical strength, position, or reputation. It signifies influence and the ability to control or affect others.

・On-yomi (音読み): イ (i) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): おど(す) (odosu) - to threaten, intimidate; おど(し) (odoshi) - intimidation, threat

⚫︎ 威厳 (igien) Translation: Dignity, majesty, authority. ⚫︎ 威嚇 (ikaku) Translation: Intimidation, threat. ⚫︎ 権威 (ken'i) Translation: Authority, power, prestige.

The kanji 威 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The phonetic component is 戌 (jū or inu), which represents a sound related to the word's pronunciation and is also the 11th of the twelve Earthly Branches. The semantic component is 女 (onna), meaning "woman." Initially, 威 might have represented a woman's commanding presence or the authority associated with matriarchal societies. Over time, it evolved to encompass a broader sense of power and authority, not solely restricted to women. Its structure illustrates how the Chinese character was formed by the phonetic 戌 giving the pronunciation to the character and 女 giving the meaning to the character.