Zustands

Zustands is a German term that typically appears as the genitive singular form of the noun Zustand, meaning state or condition. In ordinary German, des Zustands denotes possession or relation to a particular state, as in die Auswirkungen des Zustands eines Systems (the effects of the state of a system). In technical usage, Zustands also functions as a linking element in compounds that describe properties or aspects related to a state. In these compounds the form Zustands appears as a prefix-like element before the following noun, and is written as a single word: Zustandsraum (state space), Zustandsgröße (state variable), Zustandsdiagramm (state diagram), Zustandsänderung (state change), Zustandsautomat (state machine), Zustandsmodell (state model).

The term is especially common in physics, thermodynamics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering, where many concepts are described in terms of the current state of a system. The construct should not be confused with the standalone noun Zustand, which refers to any given condition or situation, whereas Zustands typically indicates a relation to state in compound terms or the genitive form in sentences.

Etymology: Zustand derives from Germanic roots meaning condition or standing; the -s in Zustands is the genitive singular ending when used alone, but in compounds it serves as a connecting morpheme that links “state” to the following noun.