die  Unterlassung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʊntɐˌlasʊŋ/

🧐 What Exactly Does "die Unterlassung" Mean?

The word die Unterlassung generally describes omission, non-action, or the failure to do something that is expected or required. It signifies the passive opposite of an action (Handlung).

In a legal context, die Unterlassung has very specific meanings:

• Omission as breach of duty (Pflichtverletzung): The failure to perform an act for which there is a legal obligation (e.g., unterlassene Hilfeleistung - failure to render assistance). This can be a criminal offense.
• Injunctive relief / action for injunction (Unterlassungsanspruch / Unterlassungsklage): The legal demand that someone refrains from a specific (often harmful or disturbing) action in the future (e.g., spreading false claims). The result can be a court-ordered Unterlassungsverfügung (injunction).

⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand the precise meaning – whether it refers to general inaction or a specific legal term.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📜 Grammar of "die Unterlassung" at a Glance

Die Unterlassung is a feminine noun. It is mainly used in the singular. The plural form (die Unterlassungen) is possible but less common, typically referring to multiple specific instances of omission.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Seine Unterlassung, den Fehler zu melden, hatte ernste Konsequenzen. (His failure to report the error had serious consequences.)
2. Das Gericht erließ eine einstweilige Verfügung zur Unterlassung der Veröffentlichung. (The court issued a preliminary injunction to cease publication.)
3. Wiederholte Unterlassungen führten zur Kündigung. (Repeated omissions led to the termination.)
4. Man kann auch durch Unterlassung schuldig werden. (One can also become guilty through omission.)

💡 How and When to Use "die Unterlassung"?

The term die Unterlassung is frequently found in formal contexts, especially in law (Recht) and administration (Verwaltung).

• Legal Language (Rechtssprache): The term is central here. You'll encounter strafbare Unterlassung (criminal omission), Unterlassungsdelikte (crimes of omission), Unterlassungsklagen (actions for injunction), Unterlassungserklärungen (declarations to cease and desist, often in competition or copyright law), and Unterlassungsansprüche (claims for injunctive relief). Example: "Der Anwalt riet zur Abgabe einer strafbewehrten Unterlassungserklärung." (The lawyer advised submitting a cease-and-desist declaration subject to penalty.)
• General Language (Allgemeine Sprache): Here, it describes a more general failure or inaction. Example: "Die Unterlassung regelmäßiger Wartung führte zum Maschinenschaden." (The omission of regular maintenance led to machine damage.)
• Philosophy/Ethics (Philosophie/Ethik): Sometimes the concept of omission is discussed ethically – the moral responsibility for what one fails to do.

Comparison:

• Das Versäumnis (failure, oversight): Similar, but often less formal and less strongly associated with a breach of duty than die Unterlassung in the legal sense.
• Das Nichthandeln (non-action): A more neutral description of simply not acting, without the implication of a breach of duty.
• Der Verzicht (waiver, renunciation): Refers to a conscious decision not to do or claim something, whereas die Unterlassung can often be unintentional or contrary to duty.

🧠 Mnemonics for "Unterlassung"

Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in "-ung" are feminine (die). Think of legal terms like die Klage (the lawsuit) or die Verfügung (the injunction). So, it's die Unterlassung.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you're supposed to do something, but you leave it "under" (unter) the table. You omit doing it. That's an "Unterlassung". Or think of "leaving something underdone" -> you omitted to finish it.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms for "die Unterlassung"

🚨 Caution: Words like die Auslassung (omission in the sense of 'leaving something out') or der Verzicht (waiver, renunciation) are similar but not always interchangeable with die Unterlassung.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum wurde der faule Gärtner verklagt? Wegen vorsätzlicher Unterlassung ... des Rasenmähens!

(Why was the lazy gardener sued? For intentional omission... of mowing the lawn!)

✒️ Poem about Unterlassung

Ein Tun bleibt aus, ein Schritt wird nicht gemacht,
Ein Wort verschwiegen in der dunklen Nacht.
Die Pflicht verkannt, die Hilfe nicht gereicht,
Die Unterlassung schleicht.

Mal ist's nur Faulheit, die uns leise lenkt,
Mal Recht und Ordnung, das uns Schranken schenkt.
Doch wiegt oft schwer, was ungetan verblieb,
Ein stiller Vorwurf, der im Herzen schrieb.

(An act undone, a step is never made,
A word kept silent in the dark night's shade.
Duty ignored, assistance not supplied,
Omission softly creeps inside.)

(Sometimes it's laziness that gently guides,
Sometimes it's law and order that provides
Constraints, yet heavy weighs what's left undone,
A silent blame that in the heart has run.)

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich bin das Gegenteil von Tun,
Kann strafbar sein, lass Pflichten ruhn.
Vor Gericht werd' ich oft genannt,
Wenn jemand eine Handlung bannt.

Was bin ich? (Auflösung: die Unterlassung)

(I am the opposite of doing,
Can be punishable, let duties be stewing.
In court, my name is often heard,
When someone bans an action or a word.)

(What am I?)
(Answer: die Unterlassung / omission, injunction)

🧩 Other Information about Unterlassung

Word Formation (Wortbildung):

Die Unterlassung is a noun derived from the verb unterlassen (to omit, refrain from, fail to do). This verb is composed of the prefix unter- and the verb lassen (to let, leave, allow). The suffix -ung is used to form nouns from verbs, typically creating feminine nouns in German.

Legal Relevance (Juristische Relevanz):

The concept of Unterlassung is fundamental in the German legal system, appearing in both civil law (Zivilrecht) - e.g., claims for injunctive relief in cases of personality rights violations or unfair competition - and criminal law (Strafrecht) - e.g., 'improper crimes of omission' (unechte Unterlassungsdelikte), where a duty to act exists.