Gebrauchlich

Gebrauchlich is a German adjective meaning customary, conventional, or commonly used in practice. It describes the degree to which a method, object, expression, or procedure is widely adopted or routinely employed, rather than its quality or efficiency. The term is often used for everyday language, standard practices, or items that are widely available or accepted.

Etymology and form: The standard spelling is gebräuchlich, formed from Gebrauch (use) with the suffix -lich. The form Gebräuchlich appears only when starting a sentence or in a title; in normal use the lowercase gebräuchlich is preferred within a sentence.

Usage and nuance: Gebräuchlich emphasizes frequency and acceptance within a community or context. It is related to synonyms such as üblich, gewöhnlich, standard, and konventionell; antonyms include unüblich, ungewöhnlich, selten. It can modify nouns in phrases like eine gebräuchliche Redewendung (a common expression) or eine gebräuchliche Praxis (a customary practice). In linguistics and lexicography it helps denote items that occur regularly in usage data.

Examples: In der Fachsprache ist der Ausdruck X gebräuchlich. Diese Vorrichtung ist eine gebräuchliche Lösung. Es ist gebräuchlich, sich am Anfang vorzustellen.

In English: gebräuchlich is typically translated as customary, conventional, or common.