Aufheben • (auf-he-bən) • verb Definition: to preserve, to destroy, to transcend Origin: German Aufheben may be the most simple, yet the most complex word you have never heard of, and it is a word we all must know. Aufheben is a German word that has no adequate English translation, yet we engage in aufheben each and every day. At first glance, aufheben appears to be a contradiction, and it is easy to conclude that a word cannot include opposing definitions. However, after further examination, the word becomes clear and one can easily see how these apparent contradictions exude the beauty of the word and even existence itself.