1The true form or essential nature of something, as opposed to its outward appearance.
問題の本体は別のところにあるように思われる。
It seems that the root of the problem actually lies elsewhere.
表面的な違いに惑わされず、物事の本体を見極めることが大切だ。
It's important to see through surface differences and discern the true nature of things.
その報道は事件の本体を正しく伝えていない。
That news report doesn't accurately convey the true nature of the incident.
2The main part or body of a machine or device, as opposed to its accessories or attachments.
カメラ本体だけでも撮影できるが、レンズを付ければ表現の幅が広がる。
You can shoot with just the camera body, but attaching a lens broadens what you can do.
このソフトを使うには本体の更新が必要だ。
To use this software, you need to update the main program.
テレビの本体を壁に掛け、スピーカーは別に設置した。
I mounted the TV unit on the wall and set up the speakers separately.
3The sacred object of worship enshrined at a shrine or temple, the central focus of its rites.
その神社の本体は古い鏡だと伝えられている。
It is said that the shrine's object of worship is an ancient mirror.
参拝者は本体に向かって手を合わせ祈った。
Worshippers put their hands together and prayed before the sacred object.
4A philosophical term for the noumenon — the reality-in-itself that underlies observable phenomena.
カントの哲学では、本体（物自体）は人間の認識を超えたものとされる。
In Kant's philosophy, the noumenon (thing-in-itself) is considered to be beyond human cognition.
5Used as an abbreviation for the base (pre-tax) price of a product, excluding accessories.
値札には「本体価格50,000円（税別）」と表示されている。
The price tag reads "base price 50,000 yen (tax excluded)".