情緒的(じょうちょてき)

Compound of 情緒(じょうちょ) ('emotion; sentiment; atmosphere') and the adjectival suffix 〜的(てき). The noun 情緒(じょうちょ) also occurs in set phrases like 下町(したまち)情緒(じょうちょ) ('old-town atmosphere'), so 情緒的(じょうちょてき) can describe moods as well as feelings.

Usage

• Applied to people or arguments: usually mildly critical, suggesting excessive emotion — 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な議論(ぎろん) ('an emotional argument').
• Applied to places, scenes, or works of art: often positive, suggesting evocative atmosphere — 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な景色(けしき) ('an evocative landscape').
• Adverbially: 情緒的(じょうちょてき)に訴(うった)える ('to appeal emotionally').
• The older/literary reading じょうしょてき is also heard but じょうちょてき is standard today.

Common collocations

• 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な反応(はんのう): emotional reaction
• 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な議論(ぎろん): emotional argument
• 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な判断(はんだん): judgment driven by emotion
• 情緒的(じょうちょてき)な雰囲気(ふんいき): sentimental atmosphere
• 情緒的(じょうちょてき)になる: to get emotional

Similar words

• 感情的(かんじょうてき): emotional — very close in meaning; when applied to people, usually stronger and more clearly negative, suggesting loss of composure.
• 理性的(りせいてき): rational; level-headed — common antonym when discussing people.
• 感傷的(かんしょうてき): sentimental — emphasizes nostalgia and tender emotion, often positively.
• 情熱的(じょうねつてき): passionate — stresses strength of feeling, usually positively.