1.
sense of justice; sense of right and wrong
An inner conviction about what is fair or right, and a willingness to act on it. Often praised as a character trait.
彼は強い正義感を持っている。
He has a strong sense of justice.
正義感の強い警察官だ。
He's a police officer with a strong sense of justice.
彼女の正義感が、不正を告発する勇気になった。
Her sense of justice gave her the courage to expose the wrongdoing.
Compound of 正義 (justice) + 〜感 (sense/feeling). The 〜感 suffix forms many "sense of X" nouns: 責任感 (sense of responsibility), 使命感 (sense of mission).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 正義感が強い: to have a strong sense of justice
- 正義感にあふれる: to be brimming with a sense of justice
- 正義感に駆られる: to be driven by a sense of justice
- 正義感を失う: to lose one's sense of justice