Inhaltlich

Inhaltlich is a German term used to describe matters relating to content rather than form. It functions as both an adverb and an adjective. As an adverb it means “in terms of content” or “content-wise,” and it is often used when assessing the substantive aspects of a text, argument, or media product. As an adjective it denotes content-related attributes, for example inhaltliche Aussage (content-related statement), inhaltliche Qualität (substantive quality), or inhaltliche Schwerpunkte (content focuses).

Etymology and scope: The word is built from Inhalt (contents, subject matter) plus the suffix -lich, producing a common German adjective. It is widely used in journalism, academia, and professional discourse to distinguish what is being said from how it is said, and to frame evaluations around the substance of a work.

Usage and nuance: Typical collocations include inhaltliche Aspekte, inhaltliche Kritik, inhaltliche Fehler, inhaltliche Planung and related phrases such as inhaltlich gesehen or inhaltlich betrachtet to introduce a content-focused assessment. The term is generally neutral, but in some contexts it can imply that form or style are of secondary importance or that a discussion is focused strictly on substantive issues.

See also and related terms: Related concepts include sachlich (factual or objective) and formell (formal). These terms are often used together to differentiate content-related evaluation from issues of presentation, structure, or style.

Examples: Der Bericht ist inhaltlich fundiert. Inhaltlich gesehen fehlen noch Details. Die inhaltliche Qualität der Arbeit entspricht den Vorgaben.