nichtlebendige

NichtLebendige is a term used in German-language discourse to denote entities that lack life. It contrasts with Lebendige (living beings) and is applied across science, philosophy, and everyday language to refer to non-living matter and phenomena.

In biology and ontology, NichtLebendige typically denotes entities that do not exhibit life characteristics such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, or evolution. Many classifications also emphasize the absence of autonomous homeostasis and adaptive behavior.

Examples include minerals, water, rocks, metals, and machines, as well as natural phenomena such as heat or lightning. These are generally treated as non-living. Some borderline cases attract debate; viruses, for instance, lack independent metabolism and reproduction outside a host, leading discussions to classify them as non-living in some frameworks and as living in others.

Etymology and usage: the term comes from nicht (not) and lebendig (living). In normal German, non-living is usually described with the two-word phrase nicht lebendig; NichtLebendige with capitalization may appear as a coined term, a category label in academic writing, or a title in fiction.

See also: Lebende, Inanimate object, Vitalism, Artificial life.