verantwortbares

Verantwortbares is a declined form of the German adjective verantwortbar, which means capable of being defended, justified, or taken responsibility for. The form verantwortbares occurs when the adjective accompanies a neuter singular noun, either with no article or with an indefinite article (ein). For example, man speaks of ein verantwortbares Risiko or verwendet verantwortbares Verhalten. In other grammatical contexts, other endings appear (verantwortbare, verantwortbares, verantwortbares, etc. depending on case, number, and article).

In meaning, verantwortbar relates to what can reasonably be defended or assumed to be appropriate, ethical, or manageable. It conveys a sense of justification, acceptability, or adequacy in handling a situation, risk, or decision. The term is often used in discussions of risk assessment, decision-making, and corporate or organizational conduct, where actions should be defensible to stakeholders and aligned with norms of responsibility.

Common usage includes phrases such as verantwortbares Risiko, verantwortbares Handeln, or verantwortbares Wirtschaften, and it is frequently contrasted with terms like verantwortungslos (irresponsible) or verantwortungsvoll (responsible in a broader, moral sense). While the more common adjective in everyday language is verantwortungsvoll or verantwortungsvoll, verantwortbar and its inflected forms appear in more technical, formal, or evaluative contexts to emphasize defendability and proportionate responsibility.

Etymologically, the word stems from Verantwortung (responsibility) with the suffix -bar, indicating capability or suitability. As a grammatical form, verantwortbares is not a standalone concept but a specific inflection used with neuter nouns in German.