vermisste

Vermisste is a German term used as both an adjective and a substantive to refer to a person who is missing. In everyday language, phrases such as eine vermisste Person or die Vermisste are common, and in police reports and media coverage the word appears frequently when the whereabouts of an individual are unknown and their safety is at risk.

Etymology and grammar: The word derives from the verb vermissen ('to miss'). As a noun, it can take gendered forms: der Vermisste (masculine), die Vermisste (feminine), and the plural die Vermissten or, in a collective sense, Vermisste. The base adjective vermisst exists alongside the nominalized forms.

Usage and context: In law enforcement, Vermisste or Vermisste Person is used in official notices, missing-person alerts, and case descriptions. In journalism, it appears in headlines and reports about searches and investigations. In culture, the term is sometimes used as a motif in crime fiction or documentaries to convey urgency and mystery without specifying details.

Related terms include Vermisste Person, Vermisst, Vermisstenfall, and Vermisstenanzeige.