Réttmæti

Réttmæti is an Icelandic noun that denotes the quality of being right, justified, or legitimate. In everyday use as well as in formal discourse, it is applied to assess whether a claim, action, or process meets a standard of correctness, fairness, or validity. The term can refer to moral justification, legal validity, or logical soundness.

Etymology and scope: The word combines elements associated with right and correctness in Icelandic. While used broadly, its nuance centers on how well something measures up to a standard or standard of justification, rather than merely describing its existence.

Uses and contexts: In ethics and philosophy, réttmæti concerns whether actions or policies are morally warranted. In law, it covers legitimacy and proper grounding of decisions, acts, or statutes. In epistemology and logic, réttmæti describes the validity or soundness of inferences and claims. In statistics and measurement, the term can relate to the accuracy or validity of instruments and results, indicating that measurements correspond appropriately to the concept being measured.

See also: Justice (réttlæti), legitimacy, validity, Icelandic language, jurisprudence, logic.