(じっしつ)

じっしつ
noun, adverb
substance, essence; practically, effectively
1. substance, essence, real content
The true content or nature of something as opposed to its outward appearance or nominal value.
実質(じっしつ)(てき)価値(かち)(ひく)い。
The actual value is low.
名目(めいもく)実質(じっしつ)(ちが)う。
The nominal and the actual are different.
実質(じっしつ)賃金(ちんぎん)物価(ぶっか)上昇(じょうしょう)()いつかず、生活(せいかつ)(くる)しくなっている。
Real wages have not kept up with price increases, making life harder.
2. practically, effectively, in effect, virtually
Used adverbially to indicate that something is true in practice even if not officially or nominally so.
(かれ)実質(じっしつ)リーダーだ。
He is effectively the leader.
この提案(ていあん)実質(じっしつ)却下(きゃっか)されたようなものだ。
This proposal has been practically rejected.
会社(かいしゃ)経営(けいえい)実質(じっしつ)副社長(ふくしゃちょう)(にぎ)っている。
The vice president effectively runs the company.

USAGE:
Sense 1 is common in economics: 実質(じっしつ)GDP (実質(じっしつ)国内総生産(こくないそうせいさん)), 実質(じっしつ)賃金(ちんぎん) (real wages), 実質(じっしつ)成長率(せいちょうりつ) (real growth rate). These contrast with 名目(めいもく) (nominal) values. Sense 2 is widely used in everyday conversation to mean "in practice" or "for all intents and purposes."

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 実質(じっしつ)(てき): substantial, practical, effective
  • 実質(じっしつ)賃金(ちんぎん): real wages
  • 実質(じっしつ)GDP: real GDP
  • 名目(めいもく)実質(じっしつ): nominal vs. real
  • 実質(じっしつ)無料(むりょう): practically free