kursieren

Kursieren is a German verb meaning to circulate or be circulated. It is used mainly for information, ideas, rumors, or data that spread among people or through media. The action is typically intransitive: Gerüchte kursieren; Nachrichten kursieren im Netz.

In everyday language, kursieren describes how something moves through a network of people or channels. Examples include “Gerüchte kursieren schon seit Tagen” (rumors have been circulating for days) and “Meldungen kursieren im Internet.” For physical objects, the related but more common expression is to speak of something being “in Umlauf” (in circulation); a sentence such as “Diese Banknoten kursieren im Umlauf” is understood, though “im Umlauf” is the standard construction for currency.

Etymology and nuance: kursieren is formed with the suffix -ieren from the noun Kurs, linked to movement and circulation. The term conveys not just movement but the sense that something is being spread across a system or population. It can carry a slightly formal or literary tone and is often found in news reporting, commentary, or academic writing when describing the spread of information or rumors.

See also: verbreiten, sich verbreiten, im Umlauf, Kurs (as in course or exchange rate). The verb aligns with related concepts of circulation and dissemination in German discourse.