The word 制服 is formed by combining two characters: 制 (zhì), which carries meanings of "to control", "to subdue", or "to regulate", and 服 (fú), which means "clothing" or "to submit". The term conceptually merges these ideas to describe a specific type of clothing, a uniform, that, by its standardized nature, imposes order, signifies submission to an authority or system, and subdues individual appearance in favor of a collective identity. Thus, the word itself encapsulates the function of the garment: clothing that regulates and subordinates the wearer within a structured hierarchy or role.