Seppuku (Noun)
Meaning
Ritual suicide by self-disembowelment on a sword; practiced by samurai in the traditional Japanese society.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- Seppuku was a highly ritualized and honorable form of death in feudal Japan, usually performed by those who wished to atone for serious offenses or failures.
- In the face of defeat, many defeated samurai chose to end their lives through seppuku rather than surrender to their enemies.
- The samurai who was found guilty of cowardice in battle was forced to undergo a formal seppuku ceremony in order to restore his family's honor.
- This practice of seppuku continued throughout the Edo period and was eventually abolished in the late 19th century with the modernization of Japan.
- Seppuku was considered an honorable death, giving the warrior the opportunity to die with dignity and bravery rather than face the humiliating consequences of defeat.