abgesuchte

Abgesuchte is a German attributive adjective form derived from the past participle abgesucht of the verb absuchen. Absuchen means to search through, scan, or inspect something thoroughly. The form abgesuchte is typically used before a singular noun and with a definite determiner, following the standard German adjective declension.

Usage and declension

- Singular, definite article: die abgesuchte Datei, der abgesuchte Beamte, das abgesuchte Angebot.

- Plural, definite article: die abgesuchten Dateien, die abgesuchten Unterlagen.

The ending -e in singular and -en in plural reflect the weak declension pattern after definite determiners. In contexts without a definite article or with other determiners, the ending may differ (e.g., due to mixed or strong declension).

Predicative use

As a past participle, abgesucht is used in predicative constructions with auxiliary verbs (hat/ist) to form passive or perfect tenses, for example: Die Unterlagen wurden abgesucht. In these cases, the form absorbs different endings and is not written as abgesuchte.

Examples

- Die abgesuchte Datei wurde archiviert.

- Die abgesuchten Unterlagen waren unvollständig.

Etymology and usage notes

The word combines the prefix ab- with suchen, emphasizing a thorough or complete search. Abgesuchte is common in written and formal language, especially in contexts describing documents, records, or inspections that have undergone a thorough search. A closely related verb is durchsuchen, which can be used as a synonym in many contexts.