‘敬礼’ (jìng lǐ) literally combines ‘敬’ (to respect, revere) and ‘礼’ (ritual, courtesy, or formal gesture), meaning to perform a formal act of respect — most commonly the military salute, but also broader acts like bowing deeply to elders or honoring the national flag. It functions both as a noun (e.g., ‘a salute’) and as a verb (e.g., ‘to salute’).

The term is strongly associated with discipline, hierarchy, and solemn occasions: soldiers use it on command, students may perform it during flag-raising ceremonies, and citizens sometimes use it symbolically when paying tribute at memorials. While rooted in Confucian ideals of reverence, its modern usage is largely institutional and ceremonial rather than everyday polite speech.