Uppmuntra

Uppmuntra is a Swedish verb meaning to encourage or to promote. It refers to the act of supporting someone’s motivation, confidence, or willingness to act. The term is common in education, management, parenting, and social work.

Etymology and forms: The verb is formed from upp- meaning up or upward and muntra, to cheer or urge. In Swedish it is a strong, regular verb with the infinitive uppmuntra, present uppmuntrar, past tense uppmuntrade, and supine uppmuntrat. The present participle is uppmuntrande, and the noun form is uppmuntran (encouragement).

Usage notes: Uppmuntra emphasizes positive reinforcement rather than coercion. It can refer to encouraging a person, a group, or a course of action, and it is often followed by an infinitive clause, for example uppmuntra någon att göra något. Common collocations include uppmuntra till forskning, uppmuntra till samarbete, and uppmuntrande ord.

Examples: Läraren uppmuntrar eleverna att ställa frågor. Ledningen uppmuntrar anställda att föreslå nya idéer. Staten uppmuntrar till hållbara lösningar.

See also: uppmuntran, encouraging, encouragement.