Allmänt

Allmänt is a Swedish term that generally means general, common, or public. It is used as an adverb meaning generally or in general, and it can also function as an adjective in compound forms, as well as appearing in medical and administrative phrases.

As an adverb, allmänt describes general statements or considerations. The most common form is i allmänhet, meaning “in general” or “generally.” Another frequent construction is allmänt sett, meaning “generally speaking.” The adverbial form allmänt is created from the base adjective allmän, which denotes something broad, universal, or public in scope.

As an adjective, allmän describes a noun and agrees in gender and number (e.g., allmän information, allmänna frågor). In everyday use, allmän commonly appears in phrases referring to public or general aspects, such as allmännyttig verksamhet (public-benefit activity) or allmän ordning (general order).

In medical Swedish, a related compound is allmäntillstånd, referring to a patient’s general condition. This term is often written as one word or with a hyphen in clinical notes and reports.

Etymologically, allmänt derives from allmän, meaning general or public, with the -t ending functioning as an adverbial or neuter form in Swedish grammar. The word is widely used across contexts to denote broad applicability, broad public relevance, or overall considerations.

See also: allmän, allmänhet, allmäntillstånd, i allmänhet.