Berechtigte

Berechtigte is a German term used to denote persons who have a right, entitlement, or authorization to receive something or to perform certain actions. The word can function as an adjective or as a noun. As an adjective, berechtigt means entitled or authorized (for example, eine berechtigte Forderung or ein berechtigter Anspruch). When used as a noun, the form Berechtigte (singular feminine), Berechtigter (singular masculine), or Berechtigte/Berechtigten (plural) denotes the individuals who hold the entitlement; commonly encountered forms are der Berechtigte, die Berechtigte, and die Berechtigten.

In practice, berechtigte appears in legal, administrative, and policy texts. Typical contexts include eligibility for benefits (Anspruchsberechtigte), participation rights (Berechigte zur Teilnahme), and access rights (berechtigte Personen) in data protection, security, or facility access. For example, in social security the Leistungen are provided only to berechtigte Personen; in voting, terms such as wahlberechtigte Bürger may be used to describe eligible voters.

It is important to distinguish between berechtigt as an adjective and the related noun Berechtigung, which denotes the entitlement itself or the authorization, while Berechtigte names the persons who hold the entitlement. The term is used neutrally in official language and varies by context, with synonyms such as Anspruchsberechtigter/Anspruchsberechtigte or Berechtigter/Berechtigte depending on gender and number.

See also: Berechtigung, Recht, Anspruch, Anspruchsberechtigter.