Rätten

Rätten is a Swedish word with several closely related meanings centered on rules, entitlement, and justice. In everyday language it most often refers to the law or the legal system: the body of rules that govern conduct, regulate disputes, and determine obligations and penalties. It can also denote rights or privileges that individuals possess, such as civil rights or the right to a fair trial. In phrases like rätten att göra något, it marks a legally recognized entitlement or permission. The definite form rätten is commonly used when talking about the law, rights in a general sense, or the judiciary, as in discussions of rätten och rättvisa (law and justice) or rätten till en rättvis rättegång (the right to a fair trial).

Etymology and scope: rätten derives from the older Nordic form for right, correct, or straight, related to Danish ret and Norwegian rett, and to the English right. Over time it came to signify both moral correctness and the codified system of rules that constitute a state’s law. The word also appears in compound terms such as rättsstat (rule of law), rättsväsen (the justice system), and rättvisa (justice). Grammatically, rätt is a noun and can take the definite form rätten; as an adjective it appears as rätt, meaning proper or correct, and as an adverb it can mean correctly.

Usage and nuance: rätten encompasses legal order, individual rights, and notions of fairness. Its exact sense is determined by context—whether one speaks of laws, a person’s legal rights, or the pursuit of justice. Related concepts include lag (law), rättvisa (justice), och rättigheter (rights).

See also: lag, rättsstat, rättsväsen, rättigheter, rättvisa.