stufe

Stufe is a German feminine noun meaning a step or rung and, by extension, a level, stage, or degree in a sequence or system. It is used for both concrete steps and abstract levels, and frequently appears in compounds that describe progression, categorization, or measurement.

In everyday language, Stufe can refer to a single step on a staircase or ladder, or to an increment in a control, gauge, or process. In education, the term denotes a grade level or stage within the school system, as in Primarstufe (primary level) and Sekundarstufe (secondary level).

In specialized contexts, Stufe has specific technical meanings. In music theory, Tonstufe denotes a degree of a diatonic scale, such as the tonic or dominant. In geology and archaeology, Stufe describes a stratigraphic or cultural-historical stage used to define a period of time or phase of material culture.

The term also appears in various domains to indicate levels in technology, policy, or planning, with compounds such as Entwicklungsstufe (development stage), Stufenplan (stepwise plan), and Stufenbau (staircase-like structure). The plural form is Stufen. Overall, Stufe functions as a flexible label for discrete levels within a hierarchy, process, or sequence across many disciplines.