Stichpunkt

Stichpunkt is a German term for a bullet point, referring to the individual item in a bulleted list. It denotes a short entry introduced by a marker in an outline, notes, or presentations. In German-language writing, a Stichpunkt is the item itself, while the broader term Aufzählungszeichen refers to the marker or symbol used to introduce items in a list.

Etymology and usage context: The word combines Stich (mark, stroke) and Punkt (dot, point). Historically, Stichpunkte appeared in note-taking and typography as compact summaries of ideas. In practice, a Stichpunkt is usually a concise phrase or sentence fragment that conveys a key point. Items are typically written in parallel form, and punctuation is often omitted for fragments; complete sentences may end with a period. Nested Stichpunkte can be indented to reflect hierarchical structure.

Typography and formatting: In digital and printed text, common markers for Stichpunkte include the solid bullet • (Unicode U+2022) or other symbols such as dashes or squares. For formal documents, consistent indentation, alignment, and parallel phrasing improve readability. In presentations, Stichpunkte are kept brief to support spoken explanation and to avoid overloading slides.

See also: Aufzählungszeichen, Stichpunktliste, bullet point, bullet list.