Japanese symbol for “deterrence”
抑止
よくし
Romaji: yokushi
keeping in check; holding back; deterrence; restraint
In Japanese, deterrence is 抑止, read よくし (yokushi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, vs, vt keeping in check; holding back; deterrence; restraint; suppression
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “deterrence”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抑え | おさえ osae | defense; guard; deterrence |
| 抑止力 | よくしりょく yokushiryoku | deterrence; ability to deter (an attack, etc.) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 抑制 | よくせい yokusei | control; restraint; suppression |
| 抑える | おさえる osaeru | to keep within limits (e.g. spending); to restrain (e.g. emotions); to control |
| 抑え | おさえ osae | weight (e.g. paperweight); pressing down |
| 抑圧 | よくあつ yokuatsu | check; restraint; oppression |
| 抑留 | よくりゅう yokuryuu | internment; detainment; detention |
| 禁止 | きんし kinshi | prohibition; inhibition; ban |
| 停止 | ていし teishi | stoppage; coming to a stop; halt |
| 中止 | ちゅうし chuushi | interruption; discontinuance; suspension |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.