warnung

Warnung is a German noun meaning warning or admonition. It derives from the verb warnen, “to warn,” and forms a nominalized abstract noun with the suffix -ung. Grammatically, Warnung is feminine: die Warnung; plural die Warnungen. In everyday language, a Warnung signals that a hazard, risk, or undesirable consequence should be avoided, and it can be communicated orally, in writing, or through signs and signals.

Common contexts for warnings include safety instructions, product labeling, and weather alerts. In signage, a Warnung is often accompanied by symbols or pictograms indicating danger, electrical risk, chemical exposure, or other hazards. In consumer protection and regulation, warnings aim to inform consumers about potential risks and may be legally required, with prescribed wording or placement. In media communication, warnings can take the form of cautions about disturbing content or important safety instructions.

In computing and software, a warning (Warnung or Warnhinweis) is a notice that cautions about potential issues, such as deprecated features, inconsistent data, or possible incompatibilities; these are distinct from errors, which interrupt execution. Warnings in this context help users and developers anticipate problems without halting a process.

Historically, Warnung has been used across military, civil defense, and public-safety contexts and has since expanded to many spheres, from everyday products to international safety standards. The term remains a core concept for alerting individuals to risk and encouraging precautionary action.