bestehend

Bestehend is a German adjective and participle derived from the verb bestehen. It has two primary meanings in modern usage: existing, meaning currently in existence; and consisting of, meaning made up of. As an attributive adjective it describes the state of a noun, while in the phrase "bestehend aus" it introduces its constituent parts. For example, "das bestehende Gesetz" means "the existing law," and "ein Gebäude, bestehend aus zwei Flügeln" means "a building consisting of two wings."

Grammatical notes: Bestehend can function as a regular attributive adjective with endings that reflect the noun’s gender, number, and case (e.g., "das bestehende Gesetz," "eine bestehende Regel"). The participial phrase "bestehend aus ..." is commonly used to specify composition, as in "eine Mannschaft, bestehend aus zehn Spielern." When used predicatively, the form can vary by context, but attributive use is the most widespread in descriptive wording.

Usage: In legal, administrative, and technical contexts, "bestehend aus" is common to describe structure. In everyday language, the sense "existing" or "current" is frequent, as in "die bestehenden Probleme" (the existing problems). Synonyms include vorhanden (present) and aktuell (current), depending on nuance. The term is versatile and appears across formal and informal registers, often in combination with nouns denoting laws, buildings, organizations, and sets of components.

See also: bestehen; Bestands- as a prefix related to existence or stock; Bestandsteile (components).