Abgesuchten

Abgesuchten is the past participle form of the German verb absuchen, meaning to search through, comb through, or inspect thoroughly. The prefix ab- adds a sense of comprehensiveness or completion, as in surveying a space, a list, or a set of records. In standard usage, abgesucht forms appear in perfect tenses with the auxiliary haben, for example: Wir haben das Gebiet abgesucht.

Grammatically, abgesuchten is primarily an inflected form used as a participle. When it functions as an attributive adjective before a plural noun with a definite article, it takes the ending -en: die abgesuchten Gebiete. In the singular, the attributive form is das abgesuchte Gebiet (neuter), die abgesuchte Liste (feminine). The plain past participle remains abgesucht in many constructions, while the adjectival endings depend on number, gender, and case.

Usage and nuance: abgesucht is commonly found in contexts involving searches of areas, inventories, or records—such as police or safety operations, rescue missions, or archival reviews. It can describe both the process (a thoroughly conducted search) and the results (the areas that were searched). Synonyms include durchsuchen and abscan, though each carries slightly different connotations in idiomatic German.

Etymology and note: absuchen combines ab- with suchen, reflecting a completed or thorough search. It is distinct from similar verbs like durchsuchen (often broader or more general) and is used across formal and technical registers as well as journalism and everyday language. Since it is a participial adjective form, correcto usage relies on standard German declension rules for adjectives in relation to the noun it modifies.