経緯
The sequence of events or the background story of how a situation came to be. It refers to the process or circumstances leading to a result.
Examples
3 of 5彼と仲良くなった経緯を教えてよ。
Tell me the story of how you became friends with him.
今回の不祥事に至った経緯をご説明いたします。
I will explain the sequence of events that led to this scandal.
ま、いろいろ経緯があってさ。
Well, there's a long story behind it.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Kei (Warp) + I (Woof) = The vertical and horizontal threads that weave together the story of an event.
Quick Quiz
新法が制定されるまでの（ ）を調査する。
Correct!
The correct answer is: 経緯
Examples
彼と仲良くなった経緯を教えてよ。
everydayTell me the story of how you became friends with him.
今回の不祥事に至った経緯をご説明いたします。
formalI will explain the sequence of events that led to this scandal.
ま、いろいろ経緯があってさ。
informalWell, there's a long story behind it.
冷戦が終結した歴史的経緯を分析する。
academicAnalyze the historical process that led to the end of the Cold War.
契約内容が変更された経緯を確認したい。
businessI want to check how the contract details came to be changed.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
紆余曲折の経緯
a complicated sequence of events
〜という経緯で
due to the circumstances that...
主な経緯
the main sequence of events
Often Confused With
Keika focuses on the simple passage of time or progress; keii focuses on the complicated 'why' and 'how' of the background.
Usage Notes
Use this in Task 2 when explaining the background of a social issue.
Common Mistakes
The reading is 'keii'. Do not read it as 'keigo' or 'keiki'. Also, in geography, this kanji means longitude and latitude, but in IELTS contexts, it almost always means 'circumstances'.
Memory Tip
Kei (Warp) + I (Woof) = The vertical and horizontal threads that weave together the story of an event.
Word Origin
Originally refers to the warp and woof in weaving, symbolizing the complexity of events.
Grammar Patterns
Quick Quiz
新法が制定されるまでの（ ）を調査する。
Correct!
The correct answer is: 経緯
Related Vocabulary
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