市民権(しみんけん)

しみんけん
noun
citizenship; civil rights; social acceptance
society
1. citizenship; civil rights
The rights and legal status of being a citizen, including the right to vote, freedom of expression, and other civil liberties.
市民権(しみんけん)を得(え)る。
To obtain citizenship.
市民権(しみんけん)の保障(ほしょう)は憲法(けんぽう)に定(さだ)められている。
The guarantee of civil rights is established in the constitution.
市民権(しみんけん)運動(うんどう)は社会(しゃかい)を大(おお)きく変(か)えた。
The civil rights movement greatly changed society.
2. social acceptance; mainstream recognition
Figuratively, the state of being widely accepted or recognized as legitimate in society. Used when something formerly niche gains broad acceptance.
アニメは世界中(せかいじゅう)で市民権(しみんけん)を得(え)た。
Anime has gained mainstream acceptance worldwide.
テレワークはコロナ禍(か)を経(へ)て市民権(しみんけん)を得(え)た。
Remote work gained social acceptance through the COVID pandemic.
かつてはマイナーだった趣味(しゅみ)も、SNSの普及(ふきゅう)で市民権(しみんけん)を得(え)つつある。
Hobbies that were once niche are gaining mainstream acceptance with the spread of social media.

Has both a legal/political meaning (citizenship, civil rights) and a common figurative meaning (gaining widespread social acceptance).

Common collocations

Sense 2 usage

The figurative sense (市民権(しみんけん)を得(え)る = "to gain social acceptance") is extremely common in modern Japanese. It describes the process by which something marginal or unconventional becomes accepted by the mainstream.

Forms

市民(しみん) (citizen) + 権(けん) (right, authority)

general
Added 2026.4.2 0:26 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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