Auswählung

Auswählung is a German noun denoting the act or process of selecting from among alternatives. It can refer to choosing a single option or a group of options and is used in everyday language as well as in formal or technical contexts.

Etymology: It is formed from the verb auswählen (to select) with the prefix aus- meaning out and the root wählen meaning to choose. The noun Auswählung conveys the action-focused sense of choosing, though in practice it can denote both the act and the result depending on context.

Contexts: In everyday language, Auswählung occurs in phrases such as die Auswählung der Kandidaten or eine Auswählung treffen. In organizations it appears in personnel selection, supplier selection, or data filtering. In research and data processing it denotes selecting samples or subsets according to predefined criteria, and in competitions it refers to the act of selecting finalists or winners.

Relation to related terms: Auswahl is closely related and often used for the selection itself or the set of selected items. Selektion is frequently used in scientific contexts, notably biology and statistics; Auslese refers to sorting or curation, particularly in agriculture or quality control. The term Vorauswahl denotes preselection.

See also: natürliche Selektion; Auswahlkriterien; Vorauswahl; Selektion.