informationell

Informationell is a German adjective used to describe things that pertain to information, information content, or information processing. It appears across disciplines such as information science, cognitive science, linguistics, sociology, and media studies to classify properties, systems, or phenomena that are defined by information rather than solely by physical energy or material form. Common phrases include informationelle Systeme (informational systems), informationelle Struktur (informational structure), and informationelle Gesellschaft (information society).

Etymology and usage notes: The term is formed from Information plus the adjectival suffix -ell, yielding a parallel to the English term informational. In practice, informationell is often used to distinguish information-centered aspects from other dimensions such as formal, physical, or energetic characteristics. It is especially common in German-language discussions of information processing, communication, and digital society, where compounds like informationelle Systeme or informationelle Kommunikation appear frequently.

English equivalence and context: There is no universal direct English equivalent with exactly the same breadth of meaning. The closest translations are informational or information-theoretic, depending on context. Informational tends to describe content and meaning, while information-theoretic stresses quantitative aspects of information as in entropy or channel capacity. In German texts, informationell can carry a broader sense, emphasizing the informational nature of a system or process rather than its physical implementation alone.

See also: Information theory, Information science, Information society, Informational (English).