lichtlosen

Lichtleten is a German adjective meaning without light. It is formed from Licht (light) and the suffix -los, which denotes absence. The base form is lichtlos; the inflected form lichtlosen appears before plural nouns in certain grammatical cases, for example: die lichtlosen Straßen. The corresponding feminine and neuter forms are lichtlose Nacht and das lichtlose Zimmer, respectively. The related noun Lichtlosigkeit denotes the state of being without light, and Lichtlosigkeit can be used in both literal and figurative contexts.

In everyday language, lichtlos describes environments that lack illumination, such as unlit rooms, caves, or streets at night. It is also used metaphorically to express gloom, isolation, or moral bleakness, especially in literature, film criticism, or journalism. In poetry and prose, lichtlos can intensify atmospheres of isolation or danger. The term is standard German and is understood across German-speaking regions.

Related terms include dunkel (dark), schwarz (black), and hell as antonyms. A common compound is lichtloser Raum (an unlit room) or eine lichtlose Nacht (a night devoid of light). Usage tends to vary by register, with lichtlos carrying a more descriptive or poetic connotation in literary contexts and a straightforward descriptive sense in everyday speech.