Orsaken

Orsaken is a Swedish noun in its definite form, meaning "the cause" or "the reason." It is the definite form of the base noun orsak. The term is used across everyday language and more formal registers to designate the factor or explanation that brings about an event or condition.

Grammatically, orsaken is a countable noun and can be combined with prepositions to express cause-related relationships. Common constructions include "orsaken till" (the cause of) and "utan orsak" (without cause). In context, the word can refer to proximate causes, distant explanations, or multiple contributing factors, depending on how it is framed.

In philosophy, science, and law, orsaken denotes causal factors in explanations of phenomena. It is central to discussions of causality, responsibility, and inference, and it often appears alongside terms for effects and mechanisms.

In everyday Swedish, the word appears in reports, discussions, and storytelling to identify why something happened. Because it denotes a concrete explanation, it can be used in both neutral descriptions and evaluative statements, depending on the speaker’s intent.

See also: orsak, causality, causal relation. References to specific works or theories are context-dependent and should be consulted as needed.