Unverbindliche

Unverbindliche is an adjective form in German that denotes lack of obligation or commitment. In practice, it is used to describe statements, offers, or information that do not create a binding contract or legal duty for the parties involved. The term appears most often in business and consumer communications.

Common usages include phrases such as unverbindliches Angebot (non-binding offer), unverbindliche Anfrage (non-binding inquiry), unverbindliche Auskunft (non-binding information), and unverbindliche Preisangabe (non-binding price indication). In many contexts, the adverbial form unverbindlich can describe actions taken without binding effects, for example unverbindlich informieren or unverbindlich nachfragen.

Legal and practical effect: labeling something unverbindlich signals that the issuer reserves the right to withdraw, modify, or reject the statement or offer, and that the recipient should not rely on it as a firm commitment. In commercial practice, such labeling often accompanies statements that are intended to be informative rather than contractual. It is commonly paired with other qualifiers like freibleibend (subject to change) to emphasize the lack of binding force.

Grammar note: unverbindliche is the feminine singular or plural form used before a noun (for example, eine unverbindliche Anfrage or unverbindliche Angebote). The base adjective unverbindlich is used to modify nouns, and its endings depend on case, gender, and number in German grammar.

Translations: unverbindlich translates to non-binding or non-committal in English. The concept is widely used in Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking regions to clarify the non-obligatory nature of statements or offers.