Skutki

Skutki is a Polish noun meaning the consequences or effects of an action, event, or condition. The term refers to the outcomes that arise from a cause and can be physical, social, economic, legal, or informational in nature. It is widely used in everyday language as well as in scientific, legal, and policy contexts.

In everyday speech one talks about “skutki decyzji” (consequences of a decision) or “skutki pogody” (effects of the weather). In medicine, “skutki uboczne” denotes side effects of treatments; in law and administration, “skutki prawne” describe the legal implications of acts and regulations. The concept is closely related to but distinct from “przyczyna” (cause); skutki are the results that flow from a given cause, though not all causes produce observable skutki, and some skutki may have multiple causes. In analyses this distinction helps differentiate correlation from causation and supports risk assessment and impact studies.

Etymology: The word derives from the Polish root skut- with the diminutive suffix -ek, and has parallels in other Slavic languages that express result or outcome. It appears in historical and modern texts to discuss outcomes of actions, events, and processes.

See also: konsekwencje, efekt, przyczyna, wpływ.