Unbenutzt

Unbenutzt is a German adjective meaning not used. It describes objects, spaces, or assets that have not been employed, activated, or opened. The term is formed with the prefix un- attached to benutzt (from benutzen, to use). In everyday language, unbenutzt stresses the absence of usage rather than mere novelty.

Common contexts include product descriptions, inventories, and commercial or legal language, where it signals that an item remains in its original, unused condition. Examples include unbenutzte Kleidung (unused clothing), unbenutzte Geräte (unused devices), or unbenutzte Softwarelizenzen. In marketplaces, it is often used alongside phrases such as in der Originalverpackung or unopened to indicate pristine condition, though this is not mandatory.

Grammatically, unbenutzt behaves as a normal adjective and can be used attributively or predicatively. With indefinite or definite articles, it inflects according to gender, number, and case, e.g., ein unbenutzter Schlüssel, eine unbenutzte Taschenlampe, unbenutzte Karten, die unbenutzte Ware. The predicative form is common: Der Schlüssel ist unbenutzt.

Related terms include neu (new), ungebraucht (unused in some contexts), and gebrauchte (used). While unbenutzt and ungebraucht are often synonymous in meaning, subtle nuances exist: unbenutzt emphasizes lack of use, whereas ungebraucht can imply complete unused condition within a broader sense of novelty.