Gerechte

Gerechte is the inflected form of the German adjective gerecht, meaning fair, just, or proper. It is used to describe actions, rules, decisions, or distributions that are considered morally right or legally appropriate. Common collocations include gerechte Verteilung (fair distribution), gerechte Strafe (just punishment), and gerechtes Gesetz (a just law).

Grammatical use: as an attributive adjective it follows German declension rules. For example: die gerechte Entscheidung (feminine singular with definite article); das gerechte Urteil (neuter singular with definite article). In plural: die gerechten Entscheidungen (with definite article); gerechte Entscheidungen (nounless, strong declension). The exact ending depends on gender, number, and case, and whether an article is present.

Semantics and context: the term often carries normative overtones and appears in ethics, law, and political philosophy. It describes fairness in the allocation of resources, opportunities, or burdens, and is used in phrases such as gerechte Gesellschaft (a just society) and gerechte Verteilung (fair distribution). The word can also appear in discussions about justice within legal processes or social policy, reflecting concepts of legitimacy and moral rightness.

Noun usage: in religious or biblical contexts, the form Gerechte (capitalized) can denote “the righteous” or “the just,” referring to people regarded as morally upright. This sense is distinct from the common adjective use and is less frequent in everyday language.