überbegriff

Überbegriff is a term used in German linguistics and information organization to designate a broad concept that encompasses several more specific terms. It corresponds to the English umbrella term and to the formal notion of a hypernym or superordinate term. In many contexts, Überbegriff is used interchangeably with Oberbegriff, though some authors reserve Oberbegriff for the more strictly defined category in a taxonomy.

Semantically, an Überbegriff subsumes its subordinate terms (Unterbegriffe). For example, der Überbegriff Fahrzeug includes Auto, Lastwagen und Fahrrad, and der Überbegriff Frucht includes Apfel, Orange und Banane. In practical usage, the distinction between Überbegriff and Unterbegriff helps structure vocabulary and classifications, from dictionaries to databases.

Usage and applications: The concept is used in lexicography, vocabulary teaching, taxonomies, thesauri and database design to organize terms under broad headings. It also supports information retrieval by enabling broad-to-narrow queries and by guiding users from general categories to specific items.

Etymology and terminology notes: The word is formed from über- “over” and Begriff “term” or “concept.” While both Überbegriff and Oberbegriff are common, the latter is often preferred in technical contexts for the explicit hierarchical relationship, whereas Überbegriff appears frequently in everyday language and broader discussions of categories.