Allgemeinem

Allgemeinem is a form that appears in German grammar and is related to the adjective allgemein, meaning general or common, as well as to the noun das Allgemeine, meaning the general matter or generalities. The exact function of Allgemeinem depends on context and on whether it functions as an adjective or as a nominalized noun.

As an adjective, allgemein takes different inflected shapes depending on case, number, and article. Allgemeenem may occur in the dative singular in certain constructions, for example in phrases such as mit allgemeinem Sinn (with a general sense). In many common expressions, the more widely used form im Allgemeinen means “in general,” where Allgemeinen/Allgemeine appear in a noun-based construction.

As a nominal form, das Allgemeine (capital A) is used to denote the general idea, principle, or the set of generalities. In the dative, this noun can appear as dem Allgemeinen, depending on the surrounding grammar. For example, Die Lösung entspricht dem Allgemeinen.

Etymologically, all general concepts in German derive from the root allgemein, which combines all (all) with gemein (common). This lineage is reflected in related terms such as Allgemeinheit (generality) and Allgemeinwissen (general knowledge).

In usage, Allgemeinem and its related forms appear primarily in formal or technical writing, in philosophy, law, and academic discourse, as well as in everyday phrases that contrast specific cases with general principles. The choice between noun and adjective forms depends on whether the speaker wishes to refer to a general concept as a thing (das Allgemeine) or to describe something in a general sense (allgemein, im Allgemeinen). See also Allgemein, Allgemeines, Allgemeinheit.