Genehmigen

Genehmigen is a German verb meaning to grant official permission or to authorize something, typically by an authority or organization with decision-making power. It denotes formal approval rather than informal agreement and is commonly used in administrative, legal, and regulatory contexts, such as approving permits, licenses, or budgets.

Usage and examples: The verb is often applied to decisions by public institutions or companies. For example, der Antrag wurde genehmigt (the application was approved) or die Behörde hat die Baupläne genehmigt (the authority approved the building plans). It can also describe the approval of a reimbursement or a financial provision, as in die Kostenübernahme wurde genehmigt.

Conjugation and forms: Genehmigen is a regular verb. Present tense forms include ich genehme, du genehmigst, er genehmigt; wir genehmigen, ihr genehmigt, sie genehmigen. The past participle is genehmigt, used with haben in compound tenses (z. B. hat genehmigt). The imperative forms are genehmige (du), genehmigen Sie (Sie), genehmigen wir (wir), genehmigt (ihr).

Nouns and related terms: The related noun is die Genehmigung (approval, authorization). Related verbs include freigeben (to release or authorize), billigen (to endorse), and zustimmen (to agree). The term typically implies official sanction rather than mere consent by individuals.

Etymology and nuance: The verb originates from the adjective genehm (permitted) with the -en suffix to form a verb. It is used when an action requires formal authorization to have legal or operational effect. Antonyms include ablehnen or verweigern, meaning to reject.

See also: Genehmigung, Genehmigungsprozess, Genehmigungspflicht.