absondern

Absondern is a Dutch verb meaning to isolate or set apart something or someone from a larger whole; to detach or sequester. In reflexive use it can also denote withdrawing from a group or from society. The form derives from the prefix ab- meaning away, combined with sonder(n) meaning to separate, and it is cognate with the German absondern.

In Dutch usage absondern is relatively rare and is typically found in formal, technical, or translated contexts. More common Dutch equivalents are afzonderen or afzonderen for outward separation, and zich afzonderen for withdrawal from a group or from society. The choice between these terms often depends on register and nuance: afschoolmen or afscheiden may be used in physical or logistical sense, while zich afzonderen emphasizes voluntary withdrawal or self-imposed isolation.

The term is most likely encountered in domains such as law, sociology, biology, or philosophy, where precise or technical language is required to describe the act of separating a component, group, or entity from a larger system. In everyday language, speakers tend to prefer the more common equivalents rather than absondern.

See also: afzonderen, afzonderen, afscheiden, isolation.