Lebensraum

[ ley-buhns-roum, -buhnz- ]

noun

, (often lowercase)

1. additional territory considered by a nation, especially Nazi Germany, to be necessary for national survival or for the expansion of trade.
2. any additional space needed in order to act, function, etc.

Lebensraum

/ ˈleɪbənzˌraʊm /

noun

1. territory claimed by a nation or state on the grounds that it is necessary for survival or growth

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lebensraum¹

1900–05; < German: living space

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lebensraum¹

German, literally: living space

Example Sentences

Nazi Germany's justification for the utopian vision of the "Aryan Lebensraum" expansion provides an obvious example.

From Salon

Some of the men in the White Rose were drafted as medics to the Russian front and, passing through Warsaw on the way, witnessed the far-flung horrors of Germany’s hunger for “Lebensraum,” or living space, and racial exclusivism.

From New York Times

Discussions of Putin frequently led back to Hitler and Stalin; talk of Russia’s military aggression beyond its borders conjured German Lebensraum.

From Los Angeles Times

The film, for that reason, centers on a politically explosive memo, outlining Hitler’s global vision for “Lebensraum” or “living space.”

From Washington Post

Other highlighted projects in the exhibition included Lebensraum o16, a snake-shaped construction in Frankfurt built to replace one of Germany’s most notorious emergency shelters, where a 56-year-old resident was stabbed to death in 2012.

From New York Times