Verarbeitung

Verarbeitung is a German noun meaning processing, handling, or transformation. It is derived from the verb verarbeiten, which denotes the act of processing or transforming materials or information. The term is widely used across disciplines to refer to a sequence of operations that changes the state, format, or value of something, from raw inputs to finished outputs.

In technology and data management, Verarbeitung is common in compounds such as Datenverarbeitung (data processing) and Bildverarbeitung (image processing). It also appears in information‑theoretic and linguistic contexts, for example natürliche Sprachverarbeitung (natural language processing) and other forms of Sprachverarbeitung. In computer science, processing stages may include collection, cleansing, transformation, and storage.

In industry and manufacturing, Verarbeitung refers to the processing of raw materials into finished products, including food processing (Lebensmittelverarbeitung), chemical processing, and metalworking. The term covers a range of procedures that add value or alter material properties as part of production chains.

In data protection and privacy law, Verarbeitung denotes any operation performed on personal data, such as collection, storage, retrieval, use, or dissemination; it is a central concept in the European Union’s data protection framework.

In psychology and cognitive science, Verarbeitung describes the mental processing of sensory input, information, or stimuli, as part of information‑processing theories of perception and cognition. The term thus spans technical, industrial, legal, and scientific contexts to denote transformation through systematic procedures.