Japanese symbol for “doctrine”
主義
しゅぎ
Romaji: shugi
doctrine; rule; principle; -ism
In Japanese, doctrine is 主義, read しゅぎ (shugi).
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 doctrine; rule; principle; -ism
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “doctrine”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 教え | おしえ oshie | teaching; instruction; teachings |
| 理念 | りねん rinen | (Platonic) ideal (of how things ought to be, e.g. human rights); foundational principle; idea |
| 説 | せつ setsu | theory; doctrine |
| 教義 | きょうぎ kyougi | creed; doctrine; dogma |
| ドクトリン | ドクトリン dokutorin | doctrine |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 主張 | しゅちょう shuchou | claim; insistence; assertion |
| 民主 | みんしゅ minshu | democracy; popular sovereignty |
| 主催 | しゅさい shusai | sponsorship (i.e. conducting under one's auspices); promotion; organizing |
| 主要 | しゅよう shuyou | chief; main; principal |
| 主人 | しゅじん shujin | head (of a household); proprietor (of a store); proprietress |
| 正義 | せいぎ seigi | justice; right; righteousness |
| 義務 | ぎむ gimu | duty; obligation; responsibility |
| 定義 | ていぎ teigi | definition |
See also: Chinese symbol for “doctrine”.
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.