Gesetzliches

Gesetzliches is the neuter or mixed-form adjective in German derived from Gesetz (law) and the suffix -lich, meaning related to law or statute. In everyday language and formal use, gesetzlich describes rules, duties or conditions that are mandated by law or statute, as opposed to things that are merely common practice or moral obligation. The term is most often found in phrases such as gesetzliche Regelungen, gesetzliche Fristen, and gesetzliche Vorgaben.

In legal and administrative contexts, gesetzliches is used to denote obligations, standards or rights that are codified in statute. Examples include gesetzliche Mindestanforderungen (statutory minimum requirements), gesetzliche Bestimmungen (statutory provisions) and gesetzliche Fristen (statutory deadlines). The phrase gesetzliches Zahlungsmittel refers to money that is legally accepted as payment, i.e., legal tender. Similarly, gesetzliche Krankenversicherung denotes the public, statutory health insurance system in Germany, as distinct from private insurance.

While gesetzlich closely parallels the English term “statutory,” it carries a specific sense of codification in statutes or official regulations. It is commonly contrasted with rechtlich, which can cover legal matters more broadly, including interpretations of law or non-statutory legal concerns. In usage, gesetzlich tends to focus on rules that have force because they are written into law.

Etymologically, the word combines Gesetz with the adjectival suffix -lich, producing an adjective that can modify nouns or be used in predicative constructions such as etwas ist gesetzlich vorgeschrieben (something is legally mandated).