Oskälig

Oskälig is a Swedish adjective describing something that is not reasonable or justifiable. It is used about actions, costs, burdens, or demands that are considered excessive, unfair, or indefensible given the circumstances. In everyday language, people may speak of an oskäligt pris or an oskälig arbetsbelastning.

Etymology: The word is formed from skälig "reasonable" with the negating prefix o-, resulting in oskälig. The corresponding noun oskälighet means unreasonableness. The term is common in both ordinary discourse and more formal contexts.

Usage: In legal and regulatory contexts, oskälig is used to describe terms or obligations that exceed what is considered reasonable or proportionate. Courts and authorities may assess whether a fee, penalty, or burden is oskälig and thereby limit it. The expression is also used in consumer protection, contract discussions, and workplace settings to signal that a demand or cost is harder to bear than fairness or practice would warrant.

Nuances: Oskälig conveys a sense of practical or moral impropriety, especially when something imposes an undue burden relative to benefits gained or to normative standards of fairness. It is related to, but not identical with, orimlig, which emphasizes irrational or illogical excess rather than proportionality to a context.

See also: skälig, oskälighet, rimlighet, proportionalitet.