Untersuchungs

Untersuchungs is the attributive stem of the German noun Untersuchung and is used to form compound nouns and some adjectives that relate to examination or investigation. It is not a standalone word; the base term is Untersuchung, meaning an act of examining or investigating. The prefix Un- in this context is part of the verb untersuchen (to examine/investigate) and yields the noun form with the suffix -ung.

In usage, Untersuchungs- appears most often in formal or technical vocabulary, especially in legal and investigative contexts. Common examples include Untersuchungsbericht (investigation report), Untersuchungsakte (investigation file), Untersuchungsmaßnahme (investigative measure), Untersuchungsstelle or Untersuchungsbehörde (investigating authority), and Untersuchungsrichter (investigating judge). The prefix also supports compounds that designate areas or aspects of inquiry, such as Untersuchungsgebiet (area of investigation) or Untersuchungsdaten (investigative data) and phrases like untersuchungsrelevante Daten (data relevant to the investigation).

Grammatically, the resulting compound nouns are capitalized as standard German nouns (e.g., Untersuchungsbericht). The form can also participate in adjectival usage to indicate relevance to an investigation, such as untersuchungsrelevant (relevant to the investigation). In everyday language, the more general noun Untersuchung is common, while Untersuchungs- compounds occupy specialized or formal contexts, particularly in law, forensics, and scientific reporting.