German word

Insolvenz

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈɪnzɔlvɛnt͡s/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbankruptcy

Example

Nach der Krise meldeten mehrere Firmen Insolvenzen an.

After the crisis, several companies filed for bankruptcy.

Illustration for Insolvenz (bankruptcy)

More examples

Viele kleine Betriebe gerieten wegen sinkender Aufträge in Insolvenz.

Many small businesses became insolvent because of declining orders.

Core concept

A debtor stands at the legal boundary where unpaid obligations can trigger court-supervised restructuring or liquidation.

Common phrases

  • in Insolvenz geraten

    fall into insolvency

  • eine drohende Insolvenz abwenden

    avert impending insolvency

  • Insolvenzverfahren eröffnen

    open insolvency proceedings

Similar words

Pleite: An everyday term for having no money available to meet payments.
Bankrott: Formal wording for financial collapse that leaves debts unpaid.
Konkurs: A court-based bankruptcy procedure for organizing and distributing a company's assets.
Zahlungsunfähigkeit: A legal term for being unable to meet debts as they fall due.

Definition in German

Rechtlicher Zustand der Zahlungsunfähigkeit eines Schuldners, der häufig ein Insolvenzverfahren zur Folge hat.

Word origin

Insolvenz is a borrowing from Latin insolventia, formed from in- meaning 'not' and solvere meaning 'to pay or release'.

Usage tips

  • Insolvenz is feminine, so the definite article is die and the plural is Insolvenzen.

Other meanings

  • insolvencynoun

Opposites

  • Zahlungsfähigkeitsolvencynoun

Related words

  • insolventinsolventadjective
  • Insolvenzverwalterinsolvency administratornoun
  • Insolvenzplaninsolvency plannoun

Word lists with this word