unerwünscht

Unerwünscht is a German adjective meaning not desired or not welcome. It describes something that is not wanted, not approved, or considered inappropriate or intrusive.

Etymology and form: The word is derived from erwünscht (desired) with the negating prefix un-, and carries the typical participle/adjective ending -t. It can be used attributively ("eine unerwünschte Werbung") or predicatively ("Die Werbung ist unerwünscht"). The noun form is rare; in practice one speaks of "unerwünschte Inhalte" or similar phrases.

Common usages occur in several domains. In advertising and consumer protection, "unerwünschte Werbung" refers to spam or unsolicited marketing, often addressed by opt-out rules or blocking. In online and media contexts, "unerwünschte Inhalte" denotes content that platforms remove or restrict, such as hate speech, violence, or pornographic material. In medicine and pharmacovigilance, "unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen" or "unerwünschte Nebenwirkungen" describe adverse drug reactions that are undesirable and require monitoring. In everyday language, phrases like "unerwünschter Besuch" or "unerwünschte Nachrichten" indicate visits or messages that are not welcome.

Nuance: The degree of undesirability is contextual and subjective. What is unerwünscht for one person or situation may be tolerated in another. The term is neutral but can carry a negative tone depending on usage.

Related terms include ungefragt (unasked) and ungebeten (uninvited). The opposites are willkommnen oder erwünscht.