Sönnunarstig

Sönnunarstig is an Icelandic term that denotes the strength or level of evidence supporting a claim. The word combines sönnun (evidence or proof) with stig (level or degree), and it is used to convey how convincing the available information is, rather than to assert absolute truth.

In legal contexts, sönnunarstig indicates the evidentiary strength needed to establish a fact. Juridical assessments often describe claims as having low, moderate, or high sönnunarstig depending on the quality, quantity, and reliability of the evidence presented. The concept helps frame decisions about liability, credibility, and the outcome of proceedings.

In science and research, sönnunarstig refers to how strongly data and methods support a conclusion. Higher sönnunarstig implies robust, reproducible results and well-controlled studies; lower sönnunarstig points to preliminary findings, limitations in data, or potential biases.

In journalism, policy discussions, and everyday language, the term is used more informally to judge how persuasive a claim appears given the evidence. Some philosophers and methodologists treat sönnunarstig as an epistemic measure, compatible with probabilistic thinking about belief and justification. The precise interpretation of sönnunarstig varies across fields, jurisdictions, and individual evaluators, and there is no single universal scale.