behaftet

Behaftet is a German adjective used to describe something that is burdened, tainted, or encumbered by a particular quality, fault, or circumstance. It signals that the bearer possesses an unwanted attribute or is affected by a problematic condition. The phrase mit is commonly used to link the attribute to what is behaftet, for example: "ein Bericht behaftet mit Ungenauigkeiten" or "eine Region behaftet mit Altlasten." In many contexts it can be synonymous with belaste, belastet, or getrübt, depending on nuance.

Etymology and sense development: behaftet derives from the prefix be- and haft, related to haftung or hafte, which point to holding, clinging, or liability. Over time, behaftet has come to denote the possession of something undesirable that adheres to the subject, whether a material contaminant, a moral accusation, or a legal burden.

Usage and register: behaftet is more common in formal, literary, or analytical prose, including journalism, legal writing, and academic texts. It is typically used in predicative or attributive position with a noun (e.g., "eine Stadt behaftet mit Umweltproblemen"). The construction with mit to indicate the burden is standard, and the term is often chosen for its precise, somewhat formal tone, as opposed to more everyday synonyms like belastet.

Examples: Der Bericht ist behaftet mit Ungenauigkeiten. Die Region ist behaftet mit Altlasten aus der Industrie. Seine Aussagen sind behaftet mit persönlichen Vorurteilen. Die Verträge sind behaftet mit mehreren Klauseln.

See also: belastet, verkrustet, getrübt; Haftung (liability) as a related concept in legal terminology.