herausgegriffen

Herausgegriffen is a German past participle and adjective derived from the verb herausgreifen, meaning to pull out or to snatch out. Figuratively, it denotes something that has been singled out from a larger group for attention, emphasis, or illustration. The term is commonly used in journalism, analysis, and academic writing to indicate deliberate selection rather than a neutral summary.

Etymology and nuance: the prefix heraus- combined with greifen conveys the idea of reaching out from a set and selecting a particular item. In this sense, herausgegriffen emphasizes intentionality and editorial or evaluative selection, rather than a random or natural part of the whole.

Usage: herausgegriffen can modify nouns in attributive position, with normal adjective endings: eine herausgegriffene Passage, ein herausgegriffenes Beispiel, der herausgegriffene Fall. It can also appear predicatively: Dieser Abschnitt ist herausgegriffen. The expression is often used for passages, Zitate, Beispiele, oder Fälle that are highlighted as representative or noteworthy, sometimes to illustrate a point or to contrast with less emphasized material.

Synonyms and related terms include ausgewählt (selected), hervorgehoben (highlighted), and betont (emphasized). The choice of herausgegriffen carries a sense of editorial choice or critical emphasis, rather than merely descriptive selection.

See also: herausstellen, hervorheben, auswählen.