Oplevelsen

Oplevelsen is a Danish noun meaning the experience or an experience. It is the definite form of oplevelse, and its plural is oplevelser. The word is formed from the verb opleve, to experience, with the nominal suffix -lse and the definite ending -n in the singular. In Norwegian bokmål, the equivalent term is opplevelsen (the experience) and opplevelser (experiences).

In usage, oplevelsen refers to what a person perceives, feels, or interprets as a result of events, activities, or situations. It can denote a single notable event, as in en fantastisk oplevelse, or the broader stream of experiences across time. The term often emphasizes subjective perception and meaning rather than objective facts.

Oplevelsen appears across various registers. In everyday language it is common for describing personal impressions or memories. In business and tourism, phrases like kundens oplevelse (the customer experience) and opføvelsesøkonomi or oplevelsesøkonomi (experience economy) highlight value created through experiences rather than mere goods or services. In educational or psychological contexts, it can refer to the learner’s or participant’s subjective experience of a process or intervention and how that experience influences engagement and outcomes.

The concept is typically contrasted with objective data, focusing on perception, emotion, and meaning. While closely tied to language use in Danish, cognate forms exist in related Scandinavian languages, with spelling differences reflecting respective orthographic norms. See also: oplevelse, oplevelser, oplevelsesøkonomi.