Ziel

Ziel is a German noun meaning goal, aim, end, or destination. It is neuter in gender (das Ziel) and forms the plural Ziele. The word is widely used to denote an intended outcome, a specific target, or a place one plans to reach, in both everyday language and specialized contexts.

In everyday and formal usage, Ziel appears in phrases such as das Ziel erreichen (to reach the goal) and das Ziel vor Augen haben (to have the goal in sight). In planning and project management, Ziele (plural) refer to objectives, while Zielsetzung denotes the process of setting those objectives. In marketing and strategy, related terms include Zielgruppe, the target audience, and Ziellinie, the finish line or endpoint in a race or process.

Etymology and cognates: Ziel derives from historical Germanic forms present in Old High German and Middle High German, with development through West Germanic languages. The term reflects a core semantic field related to aiming at an endpoint or purpose, a concept that remains central across many German-speaking contexts.

See also: Zielgruppe, Zielsetzung, Zielort, Ziellinie. These related terms expand on the notion of targeting, planning, and reaching an intended endpoint.