Nutzenden

Nutzenden is a German noun used to refer to people who use a product, service, or system. It is part of efforts to use more inclusive language in German and is related to the more traditional terms Nutzer (user) and Nutzerinnen und Nutzer (women and men users). The form Nutzende can be used as a gender-inclusive plural, while Nutzenden appears in inflected cases such as der Nutzenden (genitive) and den Nutzenden (dative), with die Nutzenden as the nominative/accusative plural.

Morphology and variants vary by stylistic guideline. Some texts prefer Nutzende as a gender-inclusive form for the collective of users, while others retain Nutzerinnen und Nutzer or use Nutzende/Nutzenden in specific contexts. In practice, you may encounter both Nutzende and Nutzenden, depending on the publication or institution, and the choice can influence readability and perceived inclusivity.

Usage and context: Nutzenden is commonly found in discussions of user-centered design, digital platforms, and accessibility, where the aim is to refer to all users regardless of gender. It appears in policy documents, user research reports, and interface copy, often alongside or as an alternative to gendered forms. When choosing terminology, authors consider audience, regional style guides, and readability, noting that preferences for gender-inclusive language differ across German-speaking regions.

See also: Nutzer, Nutzende, Nutzerinnen und Nutzer. The term is one of several evolving forms intended to be inclusive; ongoing debates about language use mean that preferences can change over time and across contexts.