Bedingt

Bedingt is a German term used as an adjective and in fixed phrases to express that something is dependent on conditions or is conditioned by other factors. It derives from bedingen and is closely linked to the noun Bedingung (condition). The word appears in everyday language as well as in scientific, legal, and technical contexts.

Two principal senses are common. In general usage, bedingt describes something that is conditional or contingent on other factors, for example eine bedingte Freilassung (parole) or bedingte Faktoren, which influence an outcome. In mathematics and statistics, bedingt is used in terms such as bedingte Wahrscheinlichkeit (conditional probability), as well as related concepts like bedingte Erwartung (conditional expectation) or bedingte Verteilungen (conditional distributions).

A frequent fixed phrase is bedingt durch, meaning "caused by" or "due to." For instance, Der Ausfall war bedingt durch einen technischen Defekt illustrates a causal relation rather than a hypothetical condition. This use underscores how bedingt marks dependency or causality rather than mere possibility.

Declension and usage: When functioning as an attributive adjective, bedingt takes ordinary endings (bedingte Faktoren, bedingter Einsatz, bedingtes Risiko). In predicative positions, it is used with appropriate inflection based on surrounding grammar. The term remains common in science, law, and everyday speech, where it carries nuances of conditioning, dependence, or causality.

See also: Bedingen (verb), Bedingung (condition), Konditional (conditional in logic).