プログレッシブ和英中辞典(第4版)の解説
あまくだり【天下り】
&fRoman1;〔神話で，神の〕descent from heaven
&fRoman2;〔役人の〕
説明
Amakudari is the practice of senior government officials retiring to high-ranking positions in businesses or semi-public organizations. Upon retirement, they receive large severance payments and are immediately reemployed by entities with strong ties to, or under the jurisdiction of, their former employers. Since the environment thus created is generally perceived as a breeding ground for business-government collusion, the word “amakudari” has negative connotations.（意訳：高級官僚が退職後，勤めた官庁と関係の深い民間企業や半官半民の機関などに再就職し，重要なポストに就くこと．官民の癒着という点で，また，すでに多額の退職金を手にしたあと再就職するということもあり，「天下り」という言葉には批判的な意味合いが込められている）
天下り人事
appointment of a retiring government official to an important post in an industry controlled by his former ministry
彼は高級官僚から天下りして我が社の顧問になった
He became an adviser to our firm (through influence from above) after retiring from a high government post.