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Annahme
/ˈanˌnaːmə/
assumption
Meine Annahme war falsch.
My assumption was wrong.
formal
A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.
Die Annahme, dass alle Menschen gleich sind, ist grundlegend für die Demokratie.
The assumption that all people are equal is fundamental to democracy.
Often used in academic, legal, or philosophical contexts.
neutral
The action of receiving or accepting something offered.
Die Annahme des Pakets war nicht möglich, da der Empfänger nicht zu Hause war.
The package could not be accepted because the recipient was not home.
Common in everyday language when referring to deliveries or submissions.
technical
In psychology: the mental process of taking in information from the environment.
Die Annahme von Reizen durch die Sinnesorgane ist der erste Schritt der Wahrnehmung.
The reception of stimuli by sensory organs is the first step in perception.
Used in cognitive psychology to describe sensory input processing.
Collocations
eine Annahme treffento make an assumptionzur Annahme kommento come to the conclusionAnnahme verweigernto refuse acceptance
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes
Avoid confusing 'Annahme' (assumption/acceptance) with 'Annahme' in the sense of 'adoption' (as in 'child adoption'), which is 'Adoption' in German. Context is key.
Gold Rule
Formal vs. Informal
Use 'Annahme' in formal writing (e.g., academic, legal) to mean 'assumption'. For everyday acceptance of packages or deliveries, it is also common but less formal.
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'anname', from Old High German 'ananehmi', from 'ana-' (on, at) + 'nēman' (to take). Cognate with English 'take' and Dutch 'aanname'.
Usage Notes
In formal contexts, 'Annahme' often implies a preliminary or unproven belief, while 'Voraussetzung' suggests a necessary condition. In legal or technical writing, 'Annahme' may refer to the act of accepting a document or package.
Word Breakdown
an-
prefix indicating direction or completion
prefix-nahme
taking, reception (from 'nehmen' - to take)
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