1.
integrity; decisiveness; grace in accepting outcomes; dignified resolve
The quality of being clean-cut and decisive, especially in accepting defeat, taking responsibility, or making difficult decisions without clinging or complaining. A highly valued quality in Japanese culture.
彼の潔さに感心した。
I was impressed by his integrity.
負けを認める潔さがある。
He has the grace to accept defeat.
自分の非をすぐに認めた彼女の潔さは、周囲からの信頼を集めた。
Her readiness to immediately admit her fault earned the trust of those around her.
The noun form of the i-adjective 潔い (clean-cut, decisive, graceful in defeat). This quality — accepting outcomes without excuses, making clean decisions, and taking responsibility — is deeply valued in Japanese culture, particularly in the samurai tradition.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 潔さがある: to have integrity/decisiveness
- 潔さに欠ける: to lack integrity
- 潔さに感心する: to be impressed by someone's grace
- 潔さを見せる: to show integrity
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
In Japanese culture, 潔さ is associated with the samurai code of honor (武士道). It describes the ability to accept loss, blame, or difficulty without excuses, clinging, or unseemly resistance. Politicians who resign promptly after a scandal are praised for their 潔さ, while those who cling to power are criticized for lacking it.
RELATED TERMS:
- 潔い: clean-cut; decisive; graceful — the base adjective
- 潔く: decisively; gracefully — the adverbial form (e.g., 潔く身を引く: to gracefully step aside)