Nachlassens

Nachlassens is not a standard standalone term in German. In most contexts it functions as a grammatical form related to two common words, das Nachlassen and das Nachlass, rather than as an independent concept.

Das Nachlassen refers to a process of weakening or subsiding. As a noun, it describes a decline, relaxation, or easing in various contexts, such as the subsiding of symptoms, a reduction in intensity, or a decrease in force. For example, one might speak of das Nachlassen der Schmerzen or das Nachlassen der Anstrengung. The phrase typically appears with a genitive object, as in des Nachlassens der Symptome, and is used across medical, psychological, and physical discussions.

Das Nachlass, by contrast, means estate or fortune left by a deceased person. It encompasses assets, debts, and other belongings that an heir or executor administers. Key related terms include Nachlassverwaltung (estate administration), Nachlassgericht (probate court), and Nachlassverzeichnis (inventory of the estate). In literary and historical contexts, der Nachlass also denotes the collection of manuscripts, letters, and papers left by an author or scholar.

In sum, Nachlassens is not a distinct concept; it most often appears as a grammatical form connected to das Nachlassen or das Nachlass. The two core meanings—decline or subsidence (Nachlassen) and an inheritance/estate (Nachlass)—cover the principal usage areas. Etymologically, both derive from the prefix nach- and the verb lassen, but they belong to different semantic fields and should be distinguished in careful writing. See also Nachlassen and Nachlass for related terminology.