顛末(てんまつ)

てんまつ
noun
full account; whole story; details from beginning to end
formalcommunication
1. full account; whole story; circumstances from beginning to end
The complete sequence of events or details of an incident, especially one involving a problem, accident, or noteworthy occurrence.
事件(じけん)の顛末(てんまつ)を聞(き)く。
To hear the full account of the incident.
事故(じこ)の顛末(てんまつ)を報告書(ほうこくしょ)にまとめた。
I compiled the full details of the accident into a report.
彼(かれ)はその騒動(そうどう)の顛末(てんまつ)を最初(さいしょ)から最後(さいご)まで詳(くわ)しく語(かた)ってくれた。
He told me in detail the whole story of the incident from beginning to end.

Composed of 顛(てん) (top, beginning) + 末(まつ) (end). Literally 'from top to end,' meaning the complete course of events. Often used when recounting problems, incidents, or noteworthy sequences of events.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 経緯(けいい): circumstances, background — focuses on the process and reasons; 顛末(てんまつ) focuses on the complete story including the outcome
  • いきさつ: circumstances, sequence of events — more conversational; 顛末(てんまつ) is more formal
  • 始末(しまつ): handling/aftermath — focuses on dealing with consequences; 顛末(てんまつ) focuses on narrating what happened

Register

Formal. Common in business reports, news, and official accounts of incidents.

Related Words

Compare: 経緯(けいい) (circumstances, background)
Compare: いきさつ (circumstances, sequence of events)
Compare: 始末(しまつ) (handling/aftermath)
Compare: 一部始終(いちぶしじゅう) (the whole story)
Compare: 事(こと)の次第(しだい) (the circumstances)
general
Added 2026.4.5 3:24 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
21500/21967_tenmatsu