Belastande

Belastande is a Swedish adjective derived from belasta, meaning to burden or load. It describes something that places a burden on someone or something, or that is mentally or physically taxing. In everyday language it can refer to situations, conditions, or tasks that are burdensome, for example en belastande arbetsmiljö or belastande ekonomiska villkor.

In legal contexts, belastande omständigheter denote aggravating circumstances—factors that increase the severity of a crime or the defendant's culpability, and that may influence sentencing. The term is used by courts and legal writers, and the phrase belastande faktorer is used for similar meaning.

Etymology and usage: belastande is the present participle form (-ande) of belasta, and is used both attributively, as in en belastande skuld, and predicatively, as in omständigheterna var belastande. In non-legal usage it often describes difficult or taxing conditions, tasks, or responsibilities.

Translations vary with context; common equivalents are burdensome, onerous, or taxing. In Swedish law, the phrase belastande omständigheter expresses aggravation that can affect the outcome of a case.