im Sinne

In the Sense of (Im Sinne)

Level 6

The phrase im Sinne (in the sense of / within the meaning of) is a high-level construction used to clarify definitions, legal scope, or the spirit of an action. It is a fixed expression that preserves an archaic dative ending.

How It Works

The expression im Sinne is essential for Legal German and academic writing. It serves three primary functions:

1. Legal/Technical Scope: It defines how a specific word should be interpreted within a law or contract. In formal statutes, the fossilized dative ending in Sinne is mandatory. While im Sinn appears in modern commentary, im Sinne remains the standard for high-level Administrative German.
2. Explanatory Clarification: It distinguishes between different nuances of a word, often using im Sinne von (abbreviated i. S. v.).
3. Intentional/Spirit: It describes acting according to a purpose. Note that the idiom im Sinne des Erfinders is almost always used negatively (nicht im Sinne des Erfinders) to mean 'not as intended'.

Common Variations:
• Abbreviations: In legal texts, you will constantly see i. S. d. (im Sinne des/der + Genitive) or i. S. v. (im Sinne von).
• Possessives: To express that something aligns with your personal wishes, use Possessive Pronouns in the construction in meinem/deinem Sinne.

Examples (5)

  1. Werke der Literatur im Sinne dieses Gesetzes sind Sprachwerke aller Art.

    Literary works within the meaning of this law are linguistic works of all kinds.

    Word by Word: Works of literature in the sense of this law are language-works of all kinds.

    This demonstrates the classic legal usage where 'im Sinne' defines the scope of a term followed by a genitive noun phrase.

  2. Das ist leider gar nicht im Sinne des Erfinders.

    Unfortunately, that is not at all what was intended.

    Word by Word: That is unfortunately at-all not in-the sense of-the inventor.

    The idiom 'im Sinne des Erfinders' is almost exclusively used in the negative to describe a solution that is suboptimal or unintended.

  3. Ich meinte das Wort ‐billig‐ im Sinne von ‐preiswert‐, nicht ‐minderwertig‐.

    I meant the word 'cheap' in the sense of 'good value', not 'inferior'.

    Word by Word: I meant the word 'cheap' in the sense of 'price-worthy', not 'inferior'.

    In explanatory speech, 'im Sinne von' (abbreviated as i. S. v.) is used to clarify which specific definition of a word is intended.

  4. Diese Entscheidung ist ganz in meinem Sinne.

    This decision is entirely in accordance with my wishes.

    Word by Word: This decision is entirely in my sense.

    When referring to personal wishes or intent, the phrase often uses a possessive pronoun: 'in meinem/deinem/seinem Sinne'.

  5. Die Maßnahme ist rechtmäßig i. S. d. § 52.

    The measure is lawful within the meaning of Section 52.

    Word by Word: The measure is lawful in-the sense of-the Section 52.

    In legal documents, 'im Sinne des/der' is frequently abbreviated as 'i. S. d.'.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating 'Sinne' as a plural noun.

    Das ist in den Sinnen des Gesetzes.
    Das ist im Sinne des Gesetzes.

    While 'Sinne' is the plural of 'Sinn' (senses), in this fixed phrase, it is a singular noun with an archaic dative -e ending. 'In den Sinnen' would mean 'inside the physical senses'.

  • Using the dative case instead of the genitive in formal writing.

    im Sinne diesem Gesetz
    im Sinne dieses Gesetzes

    In formal and legal German, 'im Sinne' must be followed by the genitive case. Using the dative without 'von' is grammatically incorrect.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

im SinneLevel 6In the Sense of (Im Sinne)

Learn This First

To understand 'im Sinne', a learner needs to recognize the contraction 'im' and, more importantly, understand the genitive case, as this phrase functions as a complex prepositional expression that typically takes a genitive object to define a legal scope.

Words in This Pattern

Sinn