berättigande

Berättigande is a Swedish term used as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it describes something that entitles a person or justifies a claim—i.e., legitimate or warranted. As a noun, berättigande refers to the grounds, justification, or eligibility for a right, benefit, or action.

In policy, social security, and law, berättigande is commonly used to denote eligibility: a person has berättigande till stöd or tillgång till tjänster. In a legal or argumentative context, it can denote the grounds for a claim or decision, as in "berättigande skäl" (legitimate reasons). The nuance is that berättigande emphasizes justification or entitlement rather than the outcome alone.

Common collocations include "berättigande skäl," "berättigande behov" (legitimate need), and "berättigande enligt lag" (legitimate under the law). The term is often contrasted with words meaning unjustified or illegitimate.

Etymology: the word derives from the adjective "berättigad" (entitled, justified) with the suffix -ande, yielding a noun/participle form used in formal registers.