Plikter

Plikter is a noun used in Norwegian and Danish to refer to obligations, duties, or responsibilities. In Norwegian Bokmål, plikter is the plural form of plikt (duty). In Danish, the corresponding plural is pligter, while the singular is pligt. The term is common in legal, civic, and ethical discourse, and it can denote both legally mandated duties and normative moral obligations.

In legal contexts, plikter may describe duties imposed by statute or contract, such as the plikter of a citizen to pay taxes or the plikter of a professional to maintain confidentiality. In everyday usage, it carries a broader sense of responsibility, e.g., "å oppfylle sine plikter" (to fulfil one's duties). The phrase "felles plikter" or "samfunnets plikter" is used to discuss obligations of the state or society.

Origin and related terms: plikt is a cognate in Norwegian with Danish pligt; the plural plikter/pligter reflect standard pluralization patterns in the respective languages. The term shares roots with the broader Germanic word for duty and with related words in Swedish and Icelandic.

See also: Duty, Obligation, Moral responsibility.