Samfundets

Samfundets is a Swedish term used in proper names to denote the possessive form of samfund, meaning "the society" or "the association." In contemporary Swedish, samfund can be a formal or literary word for a organized group; its definite form is samfundet, and samfundets is used to indicate something belonging to or sponsored by the society. As a naming element, Samfundets commonly appears in the official titles of non-governmental organizations, foundations, learned societies, and cultural or philanthropic bodies. The use signals that the entity is created, governed, or funded by the underlying society, or that its activities are carried out on behalf of it.

Because Samfundets is a linguistic construct rather than a single organization, it can be part of many different names across time and sectors. In historical documents, the term appears in ecclesiastical and charitable contexts; in modern usage, it is found in formal naming conventions for clubs, committees, and endowed funds. The governance and operations of bodies bearing such a name vary by statute, but typical features include a board, defined membership or patronage, regular meetings, financial reporting, and an explicit charter or bylaws.

See also samfund, samfundet, and related terms in studies of Scandinavian organizational naming. The term is primarily of historical and typological interest, illustrating how possessive forms of collective nouns are used to signal legitimacy, belonging, and sponsorship in Swedish organizational nomenclature.