Understøttes

Understøttes is the present passive form of the Danish verb understøtte, meaning to support, reinforce, or substantiate. In use, it describes that a subject receives support—whether physical, financial, or evidentiary. The term is common in formal Danish, including scientific reports, legal texts, and policy documents.

Grammar and usage: The passive construction follows the pattern subject understøttes af [agent] or simply understøttes with the source of support implied. Examples: "Hypotesen understøttes af data fra studiet." "Projektet understøttes af en bevilling fra myndighederne." The sense can be that a claim is backed by evidence, or that funding is provided. The present form denotes current support; other tenses describe past or hypothetical support (for example, understøttede for the past tense form).

Related terms and etymology: Understøttes derives from understøtte, with the prefix under- and støtt(e) meaning to support. The noun understøttelse means backing or support, and the adjective understøttende means supportive. Cognate forms exist in related Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian and Swedish, with similar meaning and usage in formal contexts.

Usage notes: In scientific and legal writing, understøttes is often used to indicate that a conclusion, theory, or claim is supported by data, evidence, or authoritative sources. In everyday language, more concrete senses of support (e.g., physical backing) may be expressed with other phrases, but the verb remains common in its passive form for formal statements.