schlechthin
par excellence
Ein Wort, das man benutzt, um zu sagen, dass etwas ein perfektes Beispiel für eine Sache ist oder in jeder Hinsicht so bezeichnet werden kann.
The German word "schlechthin" is an adverb meaning "purely", "simply", or "absolutely". It's formed from "schlecht" meaning "bad" and "hin" which can imply a direction or extension, but here it serves to intensify the meaning.
It is often used to express a fundamental or unambiguous characteristic, e.g., „das Böse schlechthin“ ("evil par excellence").
Similar words:
- sozusagen (so to speak)
- unbedingt (absolutely)
- im Grunde genommen (basically)
Difference:
"Schlechthin" emphasizes a pure, unqualified essence, often in a philosophical or evaluative sense, whereas words like "sozusagen" are more tentative, and "unbedingt" stresses necessity rather than essence.
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Examples
Dieses Buch ist der Klassiker schlechthin.adverb
This book is the classic par excellence.
Mozart wird oft als der Komponist schlechthin bezeichnet.adverb
Mozart is often referred to as the composer par excellence.
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