vorsätzlich

Vorsätzlich is a German term meaning intentionally or deliberately, used both in everyday language and especially in law to describe actions that are carried out with a conscious will to achieve a particular result.

In criminal law, vorsatz refers to the subjective element of a crime: the offender must have had the will to realize the prohibited outcome or must accept that outcome as a possible consequence of their actions. This distinguishes intentional conduct from fahrlässig (negligent) conduct, where the offender does not intend the result and does not accept its likelihood, but fails to exercise the required care.

There are different forms of Vorsatz. The direct form, often called direkter Vorsatz or Absicht, occurs when the actor aims at the concrete result. For example, intending to kill or to injure a person constitutes direct Vorsatz. The indirect form, commonly known as bedingter Vorsatz or Eventualvorsatz, happens when the actor foresees that the result could occur and accepts it as possible, thereby acting with the risk in mind.

In practice, the assessment of Vorsatz is central to determining culpability and criminal liability. Different statutes may require a specific degree or type of Vorsatz for particular offenses. Outside criminal law, vorsätzlich is used more generally to denote deliberate or purposeful behavior, often contrasted with unintentionally or accidentally.

The term also appears in related legal concepts such as intent-based offenses and mens rea discussions in civil and administrative contexts, where distinguishing intentional from negligent conduct helps define duties, liability, and penalties.