schwerwiegende

Schwerwiegende is the attributive form of the German adjective schwerwiegend, meaning grave, weighty, or serious. It is used to express a high level of severity or importance of events, consequences, injuries, or decisions. In typical phrases, it appears before nouns such as schwerewiegende Folgen, schwerwiegende Verletzungen, schwerwiegende Entscheidungen, or a schwerwiegende Fehlentscheidung, conveying that the matter carries substantial impact.

Etymology and nuance: the word is built from schwer (heavy) and wiegen (to weigh), with the figurative sense that the matter has substantial weight. Schwerwiegende is common in formal and technical language, including law, medicine, politics, journalism, and academic writing. It signals more than mere seriousness; it implies consequences that are significant, enduring, or far-reaching, and it is often preferred where a stronger emphasis is required than words like ernst or bedeutsam.

Usage notes: wie sich die Form richtet, hängt von Genus, Numerus und Kasus des Nomens ab. Beispiele: eine schwerwiegende Entscheidung (feminine singular), ein schwerwiegender Fehler (masculine singular), schwerwiegende Folgen (plural). The term is generally used in contexts discussing impact, risk, or moral or legal weight, and it carries a formal or emphatic tone.

See also: gravierend, ernst, bedeutsam. The collocations schwerwiegende Folgen, schwerwiegende Verletzungen und schwerwiegende politische Entscheidungen zeigen die typische Anwendung in Nachrichten, Berichten und wissenschaftlichen Texten.