1.
the point of an argument; the gist; the main thrust
The central point a written argument or essay is trying to make — what the author is actually claiming, as opposed to the surrounding examples, background, or asides. A word from formal writing and academic language.
論旨が明確だ。
The point of the argument is clear.
この文章の論旨をまとめなさい。
Summarize the main point of this passage.
筆者の論旨には賛成だが、例の選び方には疑問がある。
I agree with the author's main argument, but I have doubts about the choice of examples.
論旨が途中で変わってしまっており、読み手には筆者が何を言いたいのか分かりにくい。
The thrust of the argument shifts partway through, and it is hard for the reader to tell what the author wants to say.
Composed of 論 (argument, discussion, theory) + 旨 (meaning, purport, gist). A formal written word meaning "the core point the argument is making." It appears constantly in essays, academic writing, book reviews, and high-school Japanese textbooks — especially in reading-comprehension questions that ask students to identify the author's 論旨.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 論旨が明確だ: the point is clear / the argument is well-focused
- 論旨が不明確だ: the point is unclear
- 論旨をまとめる: to summarize the main point
- 論旨を追う: to follow the line of an argument
- 論旨がずれる: the argument drifts off topic
- 論旨明快: clear and lucid in its argument — a common set phrase of praise for an essay
- 論旨に賛同する: to agree with the main point of an argument
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 主旨: main point; gist — the central point of any piece of writing or speech; overlaps heavily with 論旨 but is not limited to arguments.
- 要旨: summary; gist — the condensed content of a passage (the abstract of a paper, for example).
- 趣旨: intent; purpose; gist — the aim or intent behind something, not just its argumentative point; used for proposals, laws, meetings, and essays.
- 結論: conclusion — the final claim arrived at, not the overall line of reasoning.
USAGE:
Use 論旨 only when talking about writing or discussion that has an "argument" in it — an essay, editorial, paper, or debate. For the general idea of a casual conversation or a story, use 話の要点 or 要旨 instead. Common in school reading exercises: 次の文章の論旨を百字以内でまとめなさい (summarize the main argument of the following passage in 100 characters or less).