(むさく)

むさく
noun, na-adjective
lack of a plan; absence of measures
formal
1. lack of a plan; absence of policy; having no strategy
The state of having no plan, policy, or countermeasures. Often used critically to describe a government, organization, or person's failure to take action.
To criticize the government's lack of policy.
無策(むさく)まま時間(じかん)だけ()ぎた
Time just passed with no plan in place.
One cannot help but say that the management's lack of strategy invited the company's decline.

Composed of () (without, non-) and (さく) (plan, policy, measure). Carries a critical or negative tone, implying that action should have been taken but was not. Almost always used in a critical context.

Common collocations

  • 無策(むさく)批判(ひはん)する — to criticize the lack of policy
  • 無策(むさく)ぶり — the extent of the lack of strategy
  • 無為(むい)無策(むさく) — doing nothing and having no plan (emphatic compound)
  • 無策(むさく)まま — with no plan in place

Similar words

  • 無為(むい) — inaction, doing nothing; emphasizes the absence of action rather than the absence of a plan
  • 無能(むのう) — incompetence; a harsher criticism of a person's abilities rather than their planning
  • 怠慢(たいまん) — negligence, laziness; implies the failure was due to carelessness or laziness