Ohtlikus

Ohtlikus is an Estonian term that denotes the state or quality of danger, hazard, or risk. It is commonly translated as dangerousness or hazard in English and is used to describe conditions, environments, or situations that could threaten safety or health. The word stems from the adjective ohtlik, meaning dangerous, and is part of a family of terms used in safety, law, and everyday language to discuss potential harm.

In Estonian, ohtlikkus is the abstract noun form meaning dangerousness, while ohtlikus is a case form that appears in phrases such as ohtlikus olukorras, meaning in a dangerous situation, or ohtlikus keskkonnas, meaning in a dangerous environment. The term is therefore practical for describing risk as a characteristic of a setting rather than a specific quantified measure.

Ohtlikus is widely used in safety engineering, risk assessment, public health, and law enforcement, as well as in media and ordinary speech. It helps communicate the presence or level of hazard in a given context. When more precise quantification is needed, it is common to pair ohtlikkus with other terms that specify probability, exposure, or consequence.

Related concepts include oht (threat), ohutus (safety), and risk (risk). Ohtlikkus and ohtlikus provide a language framework for discussing danger in Estonian, from everyday caution to formal safety guidelines. Example: Ohtlikus töökeskkonnas tuleb järgida erakorralisi protokolle.