Indefinitivt

Indefinitivt is a Swedish adverb meaning indefinitely or in an indefinite manner. It is formed from the adjective indefinitiv (indefinite) with the adverbial suffix -t, a common pattern in Swedish for turning adjectives into adverbs. The term is used in both everyday language and more formal discourse to indicate a lack of fixed limits, definition, or end date.

In linguistic contexts, indefiniteness refers to a grammatical category that marks non-specific referents. Swedish expresses indefiniteness primarily through determiner choice, with indefinite articles like en and ett signaling non-definiteness, while definite forms den, det, and de indicate definiteness. Indefinitivt can be used to discuss duration, scope, or conditions that are not precisely bounded, and it may appear in academic or descriptive discussions about how languages encode non-specific meaning.

Usage of indefinitivt in practice often appears in journalism, policy language, or documentation to denote the absence of a fixed termination date or limit. For example, a contract that “löper indefinitivt” indicates it continues without a predefined end. In everyday Swedish, more common phrasing for indefinite duration or lack of a clear end date includes expressions like tills vidare (until further notice), but indefinitivt remains a standard adverb for the general notion of indefiniteness.

See also

- Indefinite article

- Definite article

- Indefiniteness

- Swedish language grammar