Obligatorisk

Obligatorisk is an adjective used in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish to denote something that is required by rules, policy or law and therefore cannot be omitted. It describes obligations that must be fulfilled, such as courses, forms, or safety requirements. The term is commonly found in education, public administration, healthcare and employment contexts. Examples include “Kursen är obligatorisk för examen” (The course is mandatory for the degree) and “Det är obligatoriskt att bära hjälm” (It is obligatory to wear a helmet).

Etymology and cognates: obligatorisk stems from Latin obligatus meaning bound or obligated, via the influence of Continental European languages into the Scandinavian languages. It has closely related forms in English (obligatory) and in other Germanic languages. In practice, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish use the same spelling for the adjective, with corresponding adverbial forms in each language.

Usage notes: Obligatory is typically used for formal or official obligations, as opposed to words like frivillig (voluntary) or tvingande (compulsory in a legal sense). In everyday speech it is common in written rules, regulations and formal announcements. The adverb form is obligatoriskt, as in “Det är obligatoriskt att lämna in ansökan i tid.” The term conveys a sense of necessity rooted in rules rather than personal choice.

Related terms and nuance: While closely related to “tvång” (coercion) and “nödvändigt” (necessary), obligatorisk emphasizes external requirements rather than intrinsic necessity. It is a standard term in policy documents, educational catalogs and compliance language, and remains one of the core ways to express mandatory status in Scandinavian languages.