无咎

The absence of blame, fault, or culpable error. It denotes a state in which an action or condition does not incur penalty, moral stain, or disastrous consequence. In classical contexts, //jiù// typically implies a fault that carries a burden of responsibility or cosmic/social consequence; thus, //wú jiù// is specifically the avoidance or lifting of that burden.

Frequently serves as an evaluative predicate providing a summary judgment following a description of an action or state. In divinatory, aphoristic, or ritual texts, it may appear as a standalone verdict regarding a situation's moral or practical standing.

Contrast with //jí// (吉): While //jí// represents active auspiciousness or success, //wú jiù// is a "passive positive"—the avoidance of the negative. Contrast with //guò// (过) or //cuò// (错): while these terms often refer to the act of committing an error, //jiù// refers to the resulting blame or defect.

Avoid translating as "perfect," "correct," or "successful"; the term validates a lack of culpability rather than the wisdom or efficacy of an action. Depending on the register of the passage, consider whether the emphasis is on the absence ("no fault"), the status ("blameless"), or the outcome ("no penalty attaches").