Words / G / General

gestalt

/ɡəˈʃtalt/

C2CEFR level
78/100Rarity: rare
TechnicalRegister

General noun

An organised whole perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

We recognise a melody as a single gestalt, not as a string of isolated notes.

Similar: configuration, whole

Origin: German 'Gestalt' shape, form.

Topic: perception in General English

Business noun

An organised whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

Individually the logo, palette, and tone are unremarkable, but their gestalt is unmistakably premium.

Similar: whole, configuration

Topic: Marketing in Business English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: perception