(めいじつ)

めいじつ
noun
name and reality; reputation and substance
1. name and reality; both in name and in fact
The relationship between what something is called or reputed to be and what it actually is. Formed from (めい) (name) and (じつ) (reality, substance). Almost always used in the set phrase 名実(めいじつ)ともに.
(かれ)名実(めいじつ)ともにリーダーだ。
He is a leader both in name and in fact.
この(みせ)名実(めいじつ)ともに地域(ちいき)一番(いちばん)だ。
This shop is number one in the area, both in reputation and in reality.
優勝(ゆうしょう)して、名実(めいじつ)ともに日本一(にほんいち)のチームになった。
By winning the championship, they became the best team in Japan in both name and substance.

Nearly always appears in the fixed adverbial phrase 名実(めいじつ)ともに (both in name and in reality), used to stress that a title or reputation is fully matched by the facts.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 名実(めいじつ)ともに: both in name and in fact
  • 名実(めいじつ)相伴(あいともな)う: for name and substance to go together

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 有名無実(ゆうめいむじつ): nominal; in name only — the opposite situation, where reputation is not backed by reality.
  • 実質(じっしつ): substance; essence — focuses on the actual content rather than the name.