gebildet

Gebildet is a German adjective and the past participle of bilden. In contemporary usage it primarily describes a person who has acquired a broad education and cultural knowledge: for example, “Er ist gut gebildet.” The term can also refer to something refined or well-formed, such as language or manners (“eine gebildete Rede,” “gebildeter Stil”).

The opposite form is ungebildet, meaning uneducated or uncultured. Gebildet can carry nuanced connotations: it may suggest a cultivated, cosmopolitan temperament, but in some contexts it can imply pretentiousness or pedantry if used negatively.

Etymology and concept: bild en means to form or shape; gebildet denotes that formation has occurred. The noun Bildung, a central concept in German-speaking thought, denotes formation in a broad sense—intellectual, moral, and cultural development as a lifelong process, not merely schooling. The idea of Bildung has played a pivotal role in the history of education and culture, especially since the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, influencing ideas about education policy, citizenship, and personal self-improvement.

Usage and nuance: gebildet is used attributively (“ein gebildeter Mann”), predicatively (“Er ist gebildet”), and in phrases about language or culture (“gebildete Sprache,” “gebildete Gesellschaft”). It is generally neutral but can convey a value judgment depending on context, sometimes signaling prestige or belonging to a cultivated social milieu.

Overall, gebildet denotes more than formal schooling: it implies a cultivated habitus and a level of cultural literacy associated with the German ideal of Bildung.