die Musterung, -en
examination · military medical examination
Definition & meaning
Musterung has two main meanings:
- Military examination or selection: An official assessment of a person’s fitness for military service, often as part of conscription. It can also refer more broadly to the process of examining and selecting people for a particular purpose.
- Pattern or design: The arrangement of shapes or motifs on a surface, especially on fabric. In this sense, it is less common than the general word for “pattern.”
Grammar & Word origin
Musterung is a feminine noun: die Musterung. Its plural is die Musterungen.
It is formed from Muster (“sample,” “model,” or “pattern”) and the noun-forming suffix -ung, which often describes an action or process. It comes from the verb mustern , meaning “to inspect,” “to assess,” or “to review.”
Synonyms & antonyms
For the examination or selection meaning:
- Untersuchung — “examination”; a broad term that does not necessarily involve selection or military service.
- Prüfung — “test” or “assessment”; emphasizes checking someone’s abilities or fitness.
- Begutachtung — “expert assessment”; suggests a formal evaluation, often by a specialist.
- Aushebung — “conscription” or “recruitment”; focuses more on selecting people for service than on examining them.
For the pattern or design meaning:
- Muster — “pattern” or “design”; the closest general synonym.
- Dessin — “design,” especially a decorative or textile pattern.
There is no direct antonym for the examination meaning. In a military context, Freistellung (“exemption”) can describe the opposite outcome, but it is not an antonym of the examination itself. For the pattern meaning, Einfarbigkeit [?](vocabuo://word/Einfarbigkeit] (“being a single color”) can provide a contextual contrast.
Common phrases & collocations
Make “Musterung” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Die Musterung findet heute statt.noun
The medical examination takes place today.
Bei der Musterung prüft ein Arzt seine Gesundheit.noun
During the military medical examination, a doctor checks his health.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad