01
der Prozess
trial
A court proceeding in which a person's guilt or innocence, or a legal dispute, is decided.
example
Der Prozess gegen den Angeklagten beginnt nächste Woche.
The trial against the defendant begins next week.
der Prozess
process / trial
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clues
The context makes it clear which meaning is intended. Words like 'Gericht' (court), 'Anwalt' (lawyer), or 'Angeklagter' (defendant) point to a court proceeding. General terms like 'Entwicklung' (development) or 'Lernen' (learning) signal a sequence. IT terms like 'CPU' or 'Programm' (program) point to the computer-related meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Prozess gegen das Unternehmen dauerte mehrere Monate.
The trial against the company lasted several months.
Typical collocations (law)
In legal contexts, there are fixed expressions. You will often hear 'jemandem den Prozess machen' (to put someone on trial / to prosecute someone), 'einen Prozess führen' (to conduct a trial / to litigate), or 'einen Prozess gewinnen/verlieren' (to win/lose a trial).
EXAMPLE
Er hat den Prozess in erster Instanz verloren.
He lost the trial in the first instance.
Typical collocations (development)
When 'Prozess' (process) describes a development, it is often combined with adjectives such as 'lang' (long), 'schwierig' (difficult), 'kreativ' (creative), or 'chemisch' (chemical).
EXAMPLE
Das Verfassen seiner Doktorarbeit war ein langwieriger Prozess.
Writing his doctoral thesis was a lengthy process.
Compare with
Prozess vs Entwicklung
development
'die Entwicklung' and 'der Prozess' can both describe a course of events with several steps. 'Entwicklung' emphasizes more strongly that something changes, grows, or improves. 'Prozess' is more neutral and often means an ordered sequence of actions or events that leads to a result. With products, projects, or personal changes, both can fit. If you mean the change itself, 'Entwicklung' sounds more natural. If you mean the individual steps or the procedure, 'Prozess' fits better.
Prozess
Der Prozess für die Anmeldung ist einfacher geworden.
The registration process has become simpler.
Entwicklung
Die Entwicklung des neuen Fahrrads hat fast ein Jahr gedauert.
The development of the new bicycle took almost a year.
In real life
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