Udtrykkelige

Udtrykkelige is a Danish adjective used to describe something that clearly conveys meaning, emotion, or intention. In English it is often rendered as “expressive” or “explicit,” depending on context. The form udtrykkelige is the inflected plural or other grammatical forms of the base adjective udtrykkelig, which is used before singular or plural nouns to denote expressiveness or explicitness.

Etymology and meaning: The word derives from udtryk (expression) combined with the suffix -elig, which forms adjectives indicating a quality. The term’s core sense centers on clarity of expression—whether in language, art, or behavior—and it is commonly contrasted with more ambiguous or understated expression.

Usage: Udtrykkelige appears across literary, artistic, and rhetorical discourse. It can modify nouns referring to visual or verbal content, such as udtrykkelige billeder (expressive images) or udtrykkelige beskrivelser (expressive descriptions). In journalistic or critical writing, it may be used to signal that a passage or work communicates its meaning in a vivid or emphatic way. The word is related to the verbs udtrykke (to express) and the noun udtryk (expression).

Related terms and language notes: Udtrykkelig, a closely related adjective, more often conveys explicitness or directness. Den Danske Ordbog and other Danish dictionaries document udtrykkelige and its related forms. Cross-linguistically, Scandinavian languages have cognate terms that express similar notions of expressiveness and explicitness.

See also: udtryk, udtrykke, udtrykkelig.