Gebräuchliche

Gebräuchliche is an inflected form of the German adjective gebräuchlich, meaning common, customary, or widely used. The stem gebräuchlich derives from Gebrauch (use) with the suffix -lich, indicating a characteristic or quality. The term has long been part of standard German and is commonly found in formal and descriptive writing, including linguistic and stylistic discussions.

Usage and inflection: gebräuchlich is used attributively before a noun and declines like other adjectives. With a definite article: der gebräuchliche Stil, die gebräuchliche Praxis, das gebräuchliche Verfahren. With an indefinite article: eine gebräuchliche Redewendung, ein gebräuchliches Verfahren. Without an article: gebräuchliche Form, gebräuchliche Ausdrücke. The form gebräuchliche specifically refers to feminine or plural forms (and common stem forms) depending on case and number.

Typical usage and nuance: gebräuchlich conveys a sense of normality and normative acceptance, often in contrast to rare, novel, or regionally restricted terms. It is frequently used in linguistics, editing, or style guides to denote language or practices that have broad or established usage. It can be synonymous with übliche and gängig, though gebräuchlich often emphasizes conformity to common usage rather than merely frequency.

Examples: eine gebräuchliche Redewendung (a commonly used expression); gebräuchliche Abkürzungen (standard abbreviations); in gebräuchlicher Sprache (in ordinary/standard language).

See also: Gebrauch, gebräuchliche Redewendung, übliche Ausdrucksweise, gängig, konventionell.