(しみんけん)

しみんけん
noun
citizenship; civil rights; social acceptance
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)()る。
To obtain citizenship.
市民権(しみんけん)保障(ほしょう)憲法(けんぽう)(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)社会(しゃかい)(おお)きく()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)市民権(しみんけん)()た。
Anime has gained mainstream acceptance worldwide.
テレワークはコロナ()()市民権(しみんけん)()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)市民権(しみんけん)()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:

  • 市民権(しみんけん)()る: to gain citizenship / to gain social acceptance
  • 市民権(しみんけん)運動(うんどう): civil rights movement
  • 市民権(しみんけん)(あた)える: to grant citizenship
  • 市民権(しみんけん)剥奪(はくだつ)する: to revoke citizenship

SENSE 2 USAGE:
The figurative sense (市民権(しみんけん)()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.

FORMATION:
市民(しみん) (citizen) + (けん) (right, authority)