umfasst

Umfasst is a German verb form meaning to include, to comprise, to enclose, or to surround. In everyday use it describes both content and scope, as well as physical surrounding. For example, Der Bericht umfasst drei Kapitel means the report comprises three chapters, and Das Buch umfasst 350 Seiten means the book has 350 pages. In a physical sense, umfassen can describe surrounding or embracing, as in Die Arme umfassen ihn, which conveys an embrace or wrapping around someone.

Etymology and meaning history: umfassen comes from the prefix um- combined with fassen, a verb meaning to grasp or seize. The literal sense is to grasp around something, which developed into figurative uses such as including or enclosing a set of elements, topics, or responsibilities.

Usage notes: umfassen is a transitive verb and takes a direct object in the accusative case when used in the sense of content or scope. Common constructions include etwas umfasst etwas, or der Begriff/der Bereich umfasst mehrere Aspekte. In the sense of surrounding or embracing, the subject performs the action with someone or something as the object, or it can describe a boundary or enclosure. The past tense forms are umfasste (simple past) and hat umfasst (present perfect). Spelling today uses umfasst; older orthography sometimes wrote umfaßt.

Synonyms and contrasts: beinhalten, einschließen, enthalten, and umfassen are close in meaning, though umfassen often emphasizes the total scope or enclosure of parts within a whole. It is widely used in academic, administrative, and literary styles to denote coverage, scope, or enclosing extent.