風潮

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 風潮, read ふうちょう, pairs wind 風 with current or tide 潮 as a metaphor for a spreading social tendency.
• Basic usage: It denotes a widely shared attitude or tendency in a society or period, as in 失敗を隠す風潮.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone and register
  • It focuses on a collectively widespread climate rather than one person's act and can carry a critical evaluation in context.