abwickeln

Abwickeln is a German verb meaning to carry out, process, or settle a task, transaction, or procedure, and by extension to unwind or wind up a matter. In business language, Abwicklung denotes the completion and handling of processes such as order processing, payment settlement, or contract execution. In insolvency or corporate contexts it can also refer to winding up a company.

Etymology and scope: The term derives from the prefix ab- (down, away) and wickeln (to wind or wrap), conveying the sense of bringing a process to a close or unrolling its steps. The related noun Abwicklung refers to the process or the result of such handling.

Usage: Abwickeln is used across fields like finance, logistics, and law. For example, Zahlungen werden abgewickelt (payments are processed), eine Bestellung wird abgewickelt (an order is processed), or der Vertrag wird abgewickelt (the contract is executed). In the context of insolvency, die Abwicklung einer Gesellschaft means its orderly liquidation and dissolution. The term is typically employed in administrative language to describe the completion of a sequence of actions.

Form and grammar: Abwickeln is transitive: Man wickelt etwas ab (one processes or handles something). It can also be used intransitively or in passive constructions: Der Prozess wird abgewickelt (the process is being processed). In noun form, Abwicklung describes the ongoing handling or final settlement of a matter.

See also: Abwicklung (the process itself), Abrechnung (settlement or billing), Abnahme (acceptance).