掟(おきて)

おきて

noun

rule, code, law

1. rule, code, law, commandment

An established rule or code of conduct within a group, organization, or community. Unlike formal laws, 掟 typically refers to unwritten rules, traditional codes, or the internal rules of a specific group. Often carries connotations of strictness and the consequences of violation.

村(むら)の掟(おきて)を破(やぶ)った。

He broke the village's rules.

この世界(せかい)には暗黙(あんもく)の掟(おきて)がある。

There are unspoken rules in this world.

組織(そしき)の掟(おきて)に背(そむ)いた者(もの)は、厳(きび)しい処分(しょぶん)を受(う)ける。

Those who defy the organization's code face severe punishment.

Usage

掟(おきて) refers to rules that are often unwritten, traditional, or enforced within a specific community rather than by formal legal systems. It appears frequently in historical or dramatic contexts — samurai codes, village laws, underworld rules. In modern usage, it can refer metaphorically to any strict unwritten norm.

Common collocations

掟(おきて)を破(やぶ)る: to break a rule/code
掟(おきて)に背(そむ)く: to defy the rules
掟(おきて)を守(まも)る: to observe the rules
暗黙(あんもく)の掟(おきて): unspoken rule

Similar words

規則(きそく): rule, regulation (formal, institutional)
法律(ほうりつ): law (legal system)
しきたり: custom, tradition (emphasis on established practice)

Related Words

Compare: 規則(きそく) (rule, regulation)

Compare: 法律(ほうりつ) (law)

Compare: しきたり (custom, tradition)

Compare: 戒律(かいりつ) (religious precepts)

general

Added 2026.2.22 15:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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