やむを得(え)ず

やむをえず
adverb
unavoidably; out of necessity
formalabstractdescriptive
See also: やむを得(え)ない (adjective form)
1. unavoidably; out of necessity; reluctantly
doing something because there is no other choice, not because one wants to
やむを得(え)ず欠席(けっせき)した。
I was unavoidably absent.
やむを得(え)ず引(ひ)き受(う)けた。
I reluctantly accepted it.
台風(たいふう)でやむを得(え)ず中止(ちゅうし)になった。
It was unavoidably canceled due to the typhoon.
予算(よさん)の関係(かんけい)でやむを得(え)ず計画(けいかく)を変更(へんこう)した。
Due to budget constraints, we had to change the plan.

Usage

A formal expression indicating that something was done because there was no alternative, often implying reluctance or regret.
More formal than 仕方(しかた)なく. Often used in written or business contexts.

Related words

Etymology

止(や)む (to stop) + を得(え)ず, the classical negative of 得(え)る: roughly "unable to stop it." Sometimes written 止(や)むを得(え)ず or 已(や)むを得(え)ず.

Watch out

得(え) is read え here, not とく; this is one of the few places where 得(え)る's classical negative ず survives in everyday Japanese.

Related Words

Synonym: 仕方(しかた)なく (reluctantly)
Compare: やむなく (unavoidably)
Related: 仕方(しかた)ない (cannot be helped)
general
Added 2026.1.27 19:33 · Revised 2026.9.27 3:47
08500/08528_yamuwoezu