unbeweglich

Unbeweglich is a German adjective meaning not able to be moved, or motionless. In everyday use it describes objects that are stationary or people or body parts that cannot move due to injury, illness, or restraint. It can also carry a broader sense of being fixed or unchanging in position, condition, or state.

In legal and property contexts, unbeweglich refers to immovable property, as opposed to bewegliche Sachen (movable property). This category includes land and buildings. The term is common in German-language law and real estate discourse, where ownership, rights, and encumbrances related to unbewegliche Sachen are distinguished from those affecting movable property.

Beyond physical movement, unbeweglich appears in medical and descriptive language to denote immobility or stiffness. For example, a patient who is unable to move due to injury or illness may be described as unbeweglich. In a figurative sense, the term can describe something fixed or resistant to change, though such uses are less common in formal writing.

The word is formed from the negative prefix un- combined with beweglich (movable). Its noun counterpart is Unbeweglichkeit, meaning immobility or stiffness. Related terms include beweglich (movable) and Bewegung (movement). The concept is widely used across disciplines such as law, medicine, and everyday German to differentiate between what can be moved and what cannot.