belastbar

Belastbar is a German adjective meaning capable of bearing a load or withstanding stress. It is used in engineering to describe structures, components, or materials that can tolerate specified forces, and in everyday language to describe a person who can cope with strain. The related noun is Belastbarkeit.

In engineering and material science, Belastbarkeit denotes the capacity of a part to carry a load without permanent deformation or failure. It depends on material properties, geometry, connections, and safety factors. Designers specify permissible loads and use safety margins to ensure the Belastbarkeit. Measurements include static and dynamic load, yield load, and ultimate load.

In psychology and daily speech, “belastbar” describes resilience to stress: a belastbar person can handle workload, time pressure, or emotional challenges. Low Belastbarkeit indicates vulnerability to overload.

The usage differs across languages. In Dutch, a cognate form belastbaar is common in tax contexts, meaning liable to taxation (belastbaar inkomen). In German-language contexts, the emphasis is physical or psychological load-bearing, and related terms include Belastung (load), Tragfähigkeit (carrying capacity), and Belastbarkeit (load-bearing capacity).