Usaldusväärsed

Usaldusväärsed is Estonian an adjective meaning trustworthy or reliable. It is used to describe information, sources, data, institutions, or people that can be depended on. Common phrases include usaldusväärsed allikad (credible sources) and usaldusväärsed andmed (reliable data). The term is widely used in journalism, academia, and everyday discourse to signal quality and verifiability.

Etymology and grammar: the word is formed from usaldus (trust, confidence) and vääre (worthy), yielding the sense “worthy of trust.” The plural form usaldusväärsed is used to modify plural nouns, for example usaldusväärsed allikad or usaldusväärsed andmed. The related noun usaldusväärsus denotes the overall quality of reliability or trustworthiness.

Usage and evaluation: evaluating trustworthiness involves considering provenance and authorship, publication venue, completeness of methods, and the strength of evidence. In research and journalism, criteria often include transparency of sources, reproducibility or verifiability, peer review, and disclosure of conflicts of interest. It is important to recognize that even seemingly usaldusväärsed information can be accurate in context, and trust is often provisional, subject to new evidence or re-evaluation.

Related terms and context: usaldusväärsus (reliability, trustworthiness) is the core concept, with usaldusväärne as the descriptive form. The term is central to information literacy, media literacy, and critical evaluation of sources in Estonian-language discourse.