infolge

Infolge is a German preposition that expresses a causal relationship and means “as a consequence of” or “as a result of.” It governs the genitive case, typically appearing with a genitive noun phrase such as infolge des Unfalls or infolge der Krankheit.

Usage and nuance: Infolge is most common in formal, official, or academic texts, including legal language, government reports, and journalism. In everyday speech, speakers more often use wegen, aufgrund, or als Folge von. The expression can introduce a noun phrase (infolge des Schadens) or refer to a preceding event with a following clause: infolge dessen, infolge der Ereignisse.

Etymology and orthography: The word derives from the combination of in Folge, literally “in consequence.” In modern standard German it is usually written as one word, Infolge. Older or more literary texts may occasionally show two words, in Folge, but the one-word form is standard today.

Related forms: Infolge dessen means “as a result of that,” and infolgedessen is an adverb meaning “as a consequence” or “therefore.” While related, these forms differ in usage: Infolge introduces the cause, infolgedessen states the consequence.

Examples:

- Infolge des Unfalls blieb die Bahnstrecke gesperrt.

- Infolge der Krankheit konnte er nicht teilnehmen.

- Infolge dessen wurden neue Sicherheitsmaßnahmen eingeführt.

Overall, Infolge signals a formal, causal link and is preferred in legal, administrative, and often scholarly writing, where precise expression of cause and effect matters.