Widerspiegeln

Widerspiegeln is a German verb meaning to reflect or to mirror, in both literal and figurative senses. It denotes that something presents or reveals another thing, often used for data, reality, or cultural phenomena being represented in another medium.

Etymology and meaning: The word is formed from the prefix wider- (back, again) and spiegeln (to mirror). The combination conveys the idea that one thing reproduces or represents another. In everyday language it can describe physical reflections as well as how conditions or ideas are expressed in art, media, language, or behavior.

Usage and grammar: Widerspiegeln is commonly used with a direct object, as in etwas widerspiegeln. A frequent variant is the phrasal form sich widerspiegeln, meaning that something reflects itself or is reflected in another thing, often in the sense of a broader pattern. The idiomatic construction spiegeln wider is widely used as well, for example in Die Ergebnisse spiegeln den Trend wider. The verb can also be used intransitively or with an accompanying prepositional phrase, depending on the context.

Examples:

- Die Ergebnisse spiegeln den Trend wider.

- Die Kunst spiegelt die Gesellschaft wider.

- Seine Haltung widerspiegelt sich im Verhalten der Gruppe.

See also: reflektieren, spiegeln, Spiegel (mirror), Spiegelbild (reflection). Widerspiegeln is frequently contrasted with reflektieren when the emphasis is on representation versus deliberate consideration.