schutzlos

Schutzlos is a German adjective meaning without protection or defense; defenseless, unprotected. It describes people, groups, or things that lack shelter, safeguards, or legal protection and can be used in literal contexts (a person left unprotected) or figurative contexts (a community schutzlos in the face of disaster).

Etymology: The word is formed from Schutz (protection) plus los (without). It belongs to the -los family of German words indicating absence. In nuance, schutzlos emphasizes the absence of external protection rather than an inherent incapacity to defend oneself; this distinguishes it from wehrlos, which more often stresses an inability to defend.

Usage: Schutzlos appears in journalism, literature, and everyday speech to highlight vulnerability. Common collocations include schutzloser Passant (defenseless pedestrian), schutzlos ausgeliefert (left at someone’s mercy), and schutzlos vor Wind und Wetter (exposed to wind and weather). It can refer to people (children, civilians, refugees) as well as to physical conditions (exposure to the elements).

See also: Wehrlos, Verletzlich, Schutzlosigkeit.