noun

die Übergabe, -n

handover

Wenn man etwas oder jemanden an eine andere Person gibt, damit diese Person es bekommt oder übernimmt.

Definition & meaning

The word "Übergabe" refers to the act of handing something over or transferring possession, control, or responsibility from one person or entity to another. Depending on the context, it can have several specific meanings:

Physical Handover: The most common use is the physical act of giving an object to someone else. For example, a "Schlüsselübergabe" is the formal handover of keys when renting or buying a property.
Business and Successions: In a professional context, it describes the process of transferring a project, a job position, or an entire company to a successor.
Military and Conflict: It can signify the surrender of a military post, a fortress, or a city to an opposing force.
Information Transfer: It is used when shifting duties or information between shifts, such as nurses in a hospital exchanging information about patients during a shift change.

Grammar & Word origin

"Übergabe" is a feminine noun. It is derived from the inseparable prefix verb übergeben, which means "to hand over".

The word is composed of:

über: A prefix meaning "over" or "across".
Gabe: A noun meaning "gift" or "the act of giving", which originates from the verb geben (to give).

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

Aushändigung: Used for the formal delivery of documents or objects.
Überreichung: Often used for a ceremonial or formal presentation, like an award.
Übermittlung: Primarily used for the transmission of data, news, or messages.
Kapitulation: Specific to surrendering in a conflict.
Einreichung: The submission of documents to an authority.

Antonyms:

Übernahme: The act of taking over or assuming control (the opposite perspective of a transfer).
Annahme: The act of accepting or receiving something.
Verweigerung: The refusal to hand something over or to surrender.
Behalt: The act of keeping something rather than giving it away.