1.
active duty; active service
Currently serving in a professional or official capacity, especially military or government.
彼は現役の軍人だ。
He is an active-duty soldier.
現役の警察官として長年働いてきた。
He has worked for many years as an active-duty police officer.
現役時代の経験が、退職後の人生にも役に立っている。
Experiences from his active years are still useful in his life after retirement.
2.
still active; currently active; not yet retired
Still working, competing, or performing in one's field rather than having retired.
あの選手はまだ現役だ。
That athlete is still active.
現役を引退してからもう十年になる。
It has been ten years since he retired from active play.
七十歳を過ぎても現役で働き続けている医師は少なくない。
There are not a few doctors who continue working actively even past the age of seventy.
Combines 現 (present, current) and 役 (service, duty). Originally a military term for active service, now widely used to describe anyone who is still working or competing in their field rather than having retired.
USAGE:
- Functions as both a noun and a noun modifier (現役の + noun)
- 現役を退く / 現役を引退する: to retire from active service/play
- In education, 現役合格 means passing an entrance exam on the first attempt (without taking a gap year)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 現役選手: active player
- 現役時代: one's active years
- 現役引退: retirement from active service
- 現役合格: passing an exam on the first try
- 現役最年長: oldest active (player, etc.)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 活動中: currently active — describes ongoing activity rather than professional status
- 在職: in office, employed — focuses on holding a position
- 退役: retired from service — the opposite of 現役, especially in military contexts