Hinnehmbar

Hinnehmbar is a German adjective describing something that can be tolerated or accepted, though not ideal. It conveys a judgment of adequacy or sufficiency rather than enthusiasm, and is often used in evaluative, analytical, or political contexts. A hinnehmbare Lösung, for example, denotes a solution that is acceptable given constraints rather than a perfect one.

Etymology and usage notes: The word is formed from the verb hinnehmen (to accept or endure) and the suffix -bar, which marks feasibility or acceptability. The result can be used predicatively or attributively (Die Kosten sind hinnehmbar; eine hinnehmbare Lösung). The form can appear as hinnehmbare or similar inflections depending on gender and case.

Nuance and context: Hinnehmbar sits between neutral and mildly positive, signaling compromise rather than strong approval. It is less emphatic than synonyms such as akzeptabel or tolerabel and often implies that a condition is tolerable only under given circumstances. It is commonly contrasted with unzumutbar (unreasonable), unerträglich (unbearable), or inakzeptabel (unacceptable).

Synonyms, antonyms, and collocations: Common related terms include akzeptabel, tolerabel, tragbar. Antonyms include unzumutbar, unerträglich, inakzeptabel. Typical collocations include hinnehmbare Kosten, hinnehmbare Kompromisse, als hinnehmbar angesehen, or eine hinnehmbare Lösung.

In usage: Hinnehmbar is frequent in formal writing, policy discussions, and journalism to describe terms, conditions, or outcomes that are tolerable under constraints, rather than ideal or desirable. Translations into English often render the sense as tolerable or bearable, depending on context.