Brottet

Brottet is the definite form of the Swedish noun brott, meaning crime or offense. It is used to refer to a specific act that has violated the law, for example in police reports, court documents, or news reporting: “brottet begicks i natt” or “brottet mot friheten.” In everyday language, brott can denote crime in general, while brottet is used when the offense is identified or described in detail.

Etymology and usage: The word originates in Old Norse and is cognate with related Germanic terms referring to breaking or breach. In modern Swedish, the definite form brottet marks a particular offense, whereas the indefinite form brott is used for crime as a general concept.

Legal context: In Swedish criminal law, offenses are defined in the Penal Code (brottsbalken). The term brott covers a range of acts punishable by law, from minor offenses to more serious crimes. The definite form brottet appears in indictments, judgments, and descriptive texts such as “brottet mot person” or “brottet mot egendom.” Related terms include offensives such as brottsling (the offender), brottslighet (criminality), and brottmål (criminal case).

See also: brottsbalken, brottslighet, brottsling, brottmål.