Schlagwort

buzzword

noun SHLAHK-vort Rare

Origin: from schlagen + Wort

Also means

catchphrase

Usage Note

Schlagwort is a catchy keyword or slogan that captures public debate, sometimes pejorative as an empty buzzword. Note the plural Schlagwörter for individual words versus Schlagworte for slogans as a unit.

Examples

"Nachhaltigkeit ist zum politischen Schlagwort geworden."

Natural Translation

Sustainability has become a political buzzword.

Literal Translation

Sustainability is to-the political buzzword become.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Cases Explained Simply (4 Cases)

German has four cases, and each answers one question: wer, wen, wem, wessen. Learn nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive without drowning in charts.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read