Villkorad

Villkorad is a Swedish adjective meaning conditioned or subject to conditions. It describes something that only applies or takes effect if specific requirements are fulfilled. The opposite is unconditional or without tied conditions.

In legal contexts, villkorad appears in terms such as villkorad dom and villkorad frigivning. A villkorad dom, or suspended sentence, is when a court imposes punishment but postpones its execution and sets conditions the offender must meet. If the conditions are kept, the sentence does not lead to immediate imprisonment; violation of conditions can lead to the sentence being carried out. Villkorad frigivning refers to conditional release from prison, where the individual is freed before full completion of a sentence but remains subject to supervision and rules during a probationary period. Common conditions include regular reporting to authorities, staying away from certain contacts, undergoing treatment or rehabilitation, and paying restitution or fines.

Outside criminal law, villkorad is used in civil and contractual language to indicate that terms depend on specified conditions, often described as conditions precedent. For example, a villkorad försäljning or villkorat kontrakt means the agreement becomes binding only if particular conditions are satisfied, such as financing, due diligence, or regulatory approvals. In employment, terms described as villkorade can refer to arrangements like probationary employment where the relationship is contingent on meeting defined criteria.

Etymologically, villkorad derives from villkor (condition) with the descriptive suffix -ad, forming an adjective that indicates conditionality. The term is used across contexts to denote that something is not final or fully effective without meeting set conditions.