次 点(じてん)

じてん

noun

runner-up; next-highest score or vote count

1. runner-up; second place; next-highest vote count

The person or entry that came immediately after the winner. In elections it is the candidate with the next-highest vote total, who takes the seat if the winner has to step down.

今回(こんかい)は次点(じてん)に終(お)わった。

This time I ended up as the runner-up.

当選者(とうせんしゃ)が辞退(じたい)したため、次点(じてん)の候補(こうほ)が繰(く)り上(あ)がった。

Because the winner declined, the runner-up candidate moved up.

応募作(おうぼさく)のレベルが高(たか)く、次点(じてん)となった作品(さくひん)も雑誌(ざっし)に掲載(けいさい)されることになった。

The standard of the entries was high, so the runner-up work was also published in the magazine.

次(じ) (next) + 点(てん) (points, score) — literally the next score down.

Common collocations

次点(じてん)に終(お)わる: to end up runner-up
次点(じてん)候補(こうほ): the runner-up candidate
次点(じてん)繰(く)り上(あ)げ当選(とうせん): winning a seat as runner-up after the winner withdraws

Similar words

準優勝(じゅんゆうしょう): second place in a tournament — the standard sports term
2位(い): second place — plain ranking, with no sense of "just missed it"

次点(じてん) carries the flavor of having narrowly missed selection, so it is at home in elections, contests, and award judging rather than in sports standings.

Related Words

Compare: 準優勝(じゅんゆうしょう) (second place in a tournament)

general

Added 2026.8.25 21:29 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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