einkaaðila

Einkaðili, in Icelandic, refers to a private actor or private party, meaning a person or organization that operates outside the public sector. The term is used in law, politics, and economics to distinguish non-governmental actors from government agencies or officials. It can cover private individuals as well as private entities such as companies, associations, or civil-society groups.

Linguistically, the word is formed from einka- (private) and aðili (party, actor). In grammatical usage, einkaaðila is the genitive singular form of einkaaðili.

In practice, einkaaðili can denote private individuals or private organizations participating in contracts, regulatory processes, or public projects. It is commonly used in discussions about cooperation or regulation involving both the state and private actors, for example in public-private partnerships or formal consultations. The term may also refer to obligations or liabilities that apply to a private party, as opposed to a government entity.

Einkaaðili contrasts with opinber aðili (public actor) and, depending on context, with fyrirtæki (company). Although a private company may be described as a einkaaðili when the emphasis is on its private capacity rather than its corporate form, the term remains a broad label for non-state participants in public life.