straffrei
not punishable
Refers to an action that is not punished by law or for which no penalty is provided.
EXAMPLE
Notwehr ist unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen straffrei.
Self-defense is not punishable under certain conditions.
straffrei
not punishable / without convictions
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Meanings
straffrei
without convictions
Refers to a person who has no prior convictions, meaning they have never been convicted of a crime.
EXAMPLE
Um die Stelle zu bekommen, musste er mit einem Führungszeugnis nachweisen, dass er straffrei ist.
To get the job, he had to prove with a certificate of good conduct that he had no criminal record.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective 'straffrei' (not punishable / without convictions) is a compound of 'die Strafe' (the punishment) and 'frei' (free). So it literally means 'free from punishment'.
EXAMPLE
Da er aus Notwehr handelte, blieb sein Handeln straffrei.
Since he acted in self-defense, his action remained not punishable.
Sentence structure
This adjective is almost always used predicatively, that is, in connection with verbs like 'sein' (to be), 'bleiben' (to remain), or 'ausgehen' (to end up) at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Unter bestimmten Bedingungen kann der Abbruch einer Schwangerschaft straffrei sein.
Under certain conditions, terminating a pregnancy may be not punishable.
Context clue
If 'straffrei' (not punishable / without convictions) refers to an action or thing, the first meaning is intended. If it refers to a person, it means that this person has no prior convictions.
EXAMPLE
Die Tat selbst war straffrei.
The act itself was not punishable.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'not be punished', 'straffrei' (not punishable) is often combined with the verbs 'ausgehen' (to end up) or 'bleiben' (to remain). This emphasizes the outcome of a proceeding or situation.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der Anschuldigungen ging der Angeklagte am Ende straffrei aus.
Despite the accusations, the defendant ended up not being punished in the end.
Compare with
straffrei vs ungestraft
unpunished
Ungestraft and straffrei can both be used when an act goes without punishment. Straffrei tends to describe an action that is not punishable under the law or for which no penalty is provided. Ungestraft, by contrast, describes the actual outcome when someone was not punished despite committing an act.
straffrei
Dieser geringe Verstoß ist nach der geltenden Regelung straffrei.
Under the applicable regulations, this minor violation is not punishable.
ungestraft
Der Mann blieb trotz seines wiederholten Fehlverhaltens ungestraft.
Despite his repeated misconduct, the man went unpunished.
In real life
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