Meinung

Meinung is a German noun that denotes a personal view, belief, or judgment about a matter. It represents a subjective stance and is not necessarily verifiable as true by objective standards. In German, the term is used in everyday talk as well as formal discourse, often in contrast to facts or established knowledge.

The word derives from the verb meinen, meaning to think or believe. The noun Meinung is commonly encountered in phrases such as Meiner Meinung nach, literally “in my opinion,” which is the standard construction for expressing a personal view. Related forms include die Meinung (the opinion) and die Meinungen (the opinions).

Usage and scope vary across contexts. Common collocations include meine Meinung, deine Meinung, eine abweichende Meinung, öffentliche Meinung, und Meinungsfreiheit. Public opinion refers to the aggregate or prevailing views within a population and can influence politics, media, and culture. Meinungsfreiheit, or freedom of opinion, is a legal and ethical principle protecting the right to hold and express views, though limits may apply in cases of hate speech or incitement.

Distinctions and interpretation. Meinung differs from Fakten (facts) and Wissen (knowledge). A Meinung is a subjective stance that may be informed by evidence but does not in itself constitute truth. In philosophy and epistemology, the relationship between opinion and knowledge is a topic of analysis, with emphasis on justification, evidence, and change of belief over time.