wehrlos

Wehrlos is a German adjective meaning defenseless, unarmed, or helpless. It describes people or things lacking the means to defend themselves or to resist a threat. In English, it is commonly translated as defenseless or helpless.

Etymology and usage context: the term is formed from the stem wehr, meaning defense, combined with the suffix -los, meaning without. It appears across registers from everyday speech to literature, and it can refer to physical vulnerability as well as metaphorical defenselessness in social or moral contexts.

Usage examples: in German, wehrlos is often used to describe vulnerable groups such as civilians in wartime, children, or patients. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate a lack of protection or resources in non-physical situations, for example, being left wehrlos dem Willkür ausgeliefert (at the mercy of arbitrariness).

Noun form and related terms: the noun form is Wehrlosigkeit, meaning defenselessness or helplessness. Related terms include Schutzlos (unprotected) and hilflos (helpless). Antonyms include bewaffnet (armed) and wehrhaft (defensive or capable of defense).