lückenhaft

Lückenhaft is a German adjective meaning “full of gaps” or “patchy.” It describes something incomplete or missing significant parts, often implying unreliability or the need for further information. The term is formed from Lücke (gap) and the suffix -haft, which denotes a characteristic or quality.

The word is widely used across several domains. In data and documentation, lückenhaft refers to datasets with missing values, records that are incomplete, or documentation that lacks essential details. In historiography, journalism, and research, it describes fragmentary sources or insufficient evidence. In reasoning and argumentation, a lückenhafte Begründung indicates gaps in logic or missing supporting arguments. In personal memories, lückenhaft denotes unreliable recollections that omit details. The nuance usually suggests that gaps affect the overall reliability or usefulness of the information or structure being described.

Related terms include lückenlos, meaning without gaps or seamless, and unvollständig, meaning incomplete. Lückenhaft often carries a evaluative sense, signaling that the gaps reduce usefulness or credibility, while lückenlos emphasizes continuity and completeness. In practice, the choice between these terms depends on whether the emphasis is on the existence of gaps or on the absence of gaps in a given context.