Schädliche

Schädliche is the attributive form of the German adjective schädlich, meaning harmful or damaging. It is used before nouns to describe something that can cause harm, typically in health, safety, environmental, or property contexts. The form schädliche changes its ending according to gender, number, and case, which is common for attributive adjectives in German.

In practice, schädliche appears in several common constructions. For feminine singular nouns in the nominative or accusative case, as in die schädliche Substanz (the harmful substance). For neuter singular nouns after a definite article, as in das schädliche Mittel (the harmful means). In plural usage without an article, as in schädliche Auswirkungen (harmful effects). When used with additional descriptors or compounds, it often forms phrases such as gesundheitsschädliche Produkte (health-harmful products) or schädliche Verhaltensweisen (harmful behaviors).

Etymologically, schädlich derives from the noun Schaden (damage) and the suffix -lich, which yields the meaning harmful or damaging. The independent noun form is not schädliche, but schädliche functions as an adjective form used in descriptive phrases. It is commonly found in scientific, medical, regulatory, and journalistic language, where precise characterization of risks or harms is important.

Synonyms and related terms include schädigend, gesundheitsschädlich, gefährlich, and zerstörerisch, while antonyms include harmlos, ungefährlich, and sicher. The term often occurs in legal or policy texts when labeling substances, processes, or practices as harmful and subject to regulation, warning, or mitigation.