zeitartige

Zeitartige is a German adjective meaning time-like or temporal in character. It is used in physics, philosophy and other scholarly contexts to describe phenomena, structures, or relations that pertain to time rather than to space. The form zeitartige is the attributive form before feminine or plural nouns (z. B. zeitartige Struktur, zeitartige Phänomene) and follows standard German inflection rules.

In physics, zeitartige descriptions occur most often in relativity. A time-like interval or a time-like worldline connects events that can be causally related for an object with mass; such separations lie inside the light cone and correspond to possible histories of material bodies. In contrast, space-like intervals lie outside the light cone and cannot be causally related, while light-like (null) intervals describe the path of light. The term zeitartig emphasizes the temporal character of these relations, as opposed to their spatial geometry.

In philosophy, theology and the humanities, zeitartige discussions may refer to phenomena or concepts that unfold through time, such as temporality, chronology, or historical processes. The word is typically used descriptively rather than as a technical category, and its exact meaning depends on the disciplinary context.

Etymology: zeitartig is formed from Zeit (time) and artig (like, -like). It is cognate with related German compounds and has parallel counterparts in other languages that describe time-oriented or temporal properties.