Hochriskante

Hochriskante is a German adjective used to describe situations, decisions, or entities characterized by a high level of risk. In German-language risk communication it signals that the likelihood and/or severity of negative outcomes exceed a predefined threshold. The term is common in finance, medicine, project management, and information security, where it helps distinguish more uncertain or volatile options from lower-risk ones.

In everyday usage, it appears in phrases such as hochriskante Investitionen, hochriskante Operationen, or hochriskante Märkte. When used attributively it is written as hochriskant (eine hochriskante Investition). The form Hochriskante may appear in headings or as a nominalized label in some texts, but standard grammar keeps the adjective in lowercase within sentences.

Contexts: In finance, assets or strategies are labeled hochriskant or hochriskante if they feature high volatility, leverage, or counterparty risk. In medicine, procedures or patient groups with elevated risk of complications are described as hochriskant. In cybersecurity and IT, high-risk threats or vulnerabilities are designated hochriskant, guiding prioritization of mitigation measures.

Etymology and related terms: The word is formed from hoch (high) and riskant (risky), mirroring the English high-risk. Related German terms include Risiko, Risikomanagement, and Hochrisiko. See also: high-risk, risk assessment, risk management, risk matrix.