Erkrankten

Erkrankten is a German noun designating persons who are ill or afflicted by a disease. It is the plural form of der Erkrankte (the ill person). The term is used in medical, administrative, and sociological contexts to refer to groups of patients or people affected by illness, without naming individuals. It can appear in clinical notes, research reports, health-policy texts, and statistics.

Grammatical notes: The standard nominative plural is Die Erkrankten. In other cases the forms follow regular declension: den Erkrankten (dative), der Erkrankten (genitive). The word is capitalized because it is a noun, and it derives from erkranken (to become ill) with the agentive suffix -ter.

Usage and nuance: Erkrankten is relatively formal and neutral. It should not be confused with adjectives such as erkrankt (ill, sick) or with terms like Kranke, which in everyday language can carry different connotations. In many contexts, speakers may prefer neutral alternatives such as Betroffene or Patientinnen und Patienten when referring to people affected by a condition or disease, especially in public discourse or policy communication.