avgjørende

Avgjørende is a Norwegian adjective meaning decisive, crucial, or determining in importance. It describes something that determines an outcome or is essential to a conclusion. The standard Bokmål form is avgjørende; in Nynorsk the corresponding form is avgjerande. The word is formed from the verb avgjøre (to decide, determine, settle) plus the present-participle suffix -ende, and it is used both attributively and predicatively.

Usage and nuance: Avgjørende is used to mark significance that directly affects outcomes or conclusions. It often describes factors, moments, evidence, or decisions that are pivotal rather than merely important. Examples include a decisive factor: en avgjørende faktor; a pivotal moment: et avgjørende øyeblikk; a decisive role: en avgjørende rolle. Predicative use is common: Beslutningen var avgjørende (The decision was decisive).

Degrees and related terms: The word can take standard degree inflections like mer avgjørende, mest avgjørende. Related words include avgjørelse (decision), avgjøre (to decide), and avgjort (decided). The distinction between avgjørende and similar terms such as vesentlig or viktig lies in the stronger sense of determining impact or turning point.

Usage context: Avgjørende is frequent in formal writing, politics, law, sports, and journalism, where it emphasizes turning points or decisive elements. In translations, it is commonly rendered as decisive, crucial, or pivotal.