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noun

die Sorgfaltspflicht, -en

duty of care · due diligence

Definition & meaning

The term Sorgfaltspflicht refers to the "duty of care" or "due diligence" that an individual, professional, or organization is legally or ethically required to exercise in their actions.

  1. General/Legal context: It describes the obligation to act with a standard of reasonable care to avoid causing harm to others or to protect the interests of a client or stakeholder. If this duty is breached, it often leads to liability for damages (negligence).
  2. Business/Corporate context: It refers to the thorough investigation and assessment of risks, such as during a company acquisition, when vetting suppliers, or ensuring compliance with environmental and labor standards along a supply chain (e.g., the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act).

Grammar & Word origin

  • Grammar: It is a feminine noun (die Sorgfaltspflicht). It is a compound word formed by:
    • Sorgfalt : meaning "care" or "diligence," which itself comes from Sorge (worry/care) and falten (to fold/tend to).
    • Pflicht : meaning "duty" or "obligation."
  • Origin: The word combines the requirement for meticulous, careful behavior with the moral or legal compulsion to perform such behavior.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • Vorsichtspflicht : Duty of caution.
  • Diligence (often used as an anglicism in legal/business German).
  • Gewissenhaftigkeit : Conscientiousness (related trait).

Antonyms:

  • Fahrlässigkeit : Negligence; the failure to exercise the required duty of care.
  • Leichtsinn : Carelessness or recklessness.
  • Pflichtvergessenheit : Neglect of duty.

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Examples

Lehrer haben eine Sorgfaltspflicht gegenüber den Kindern.noun

Teachers have a duty of care towards the children.

Die Sorgfaltspflicht wurde bei der Prüfung beachtet.noun

Due diligence was observed during the review.

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