herausarbeiten

Herausarbeiten is a German verb with the separable prefix heraus-, formed from heraus- plus arbeiten. The prefix gives a sense of bringing something out from existing material, emphasizing extraction, clarification or the development of a clear result. The basic idea is to derive or articulate a finding, conclusion or solution from available information.

The term is common in academic, professional and analytical contexts. It describes processes such as analyzing data, texts or arguments and then presenting a definite outcome. Typical usages include herausarbeiten a Kernaussage (to extract the core message), herausarbeiten einer Lösung (to work out a solution), or herausarbeiten der Ursachen eines Problems (to identify the causes of a problem). The emphasis is often on the clarity and defensibility of the result rather than on mere elaboration.

Grammatically, herausarbeiten is a separable verb. In present tense you say er arbeitet heraus, in perfect you say er hat herausgearbeitet, and the past participle is herausgearbeitet. The reflexive or passive forms are possible as with many German verbs, depending on context. Related terms include ausarbeiten (to elaborate or to draft more generally) and ableiten (to derive) or hervorheben (to highlight), each with its own nuance.

Overall, herausarbeiten denotes the act of uncovering, clarifying or crystallizing an insight or solution by analytic effort, making the result explicit and ready for presentation.

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