enskild

Enskild is a Swedish adjective meaning private, personal, or individual, used to describe something that concerns or belongs to a private person rather than to the public sector or a separate legal entity. It is commonly employed in legal, administrative, and everyday contexts to distinguish private matters from public or institutional ones.

In business language, enskild is closely associated with the concept of a sole proprietorship. The term enskild firma (often shortened to enskild) refers to a form of business where one person owns and runs the operation, and where the owner and the business are not separate legal entities. The owner bears personal liability for the business debts and obligations. Taxes and social charges flow through to the owner's personal tax return, and registration with tax authorities and, if applicable, VAT handling are required. This differs from a juridisk person, such as an aktiebolag (limited company), where the company itself is a separate legal entity.

Beyond business, enskild can describe private individuals or private matters in contrast to public or official ones, for example enskild egendom (private property) or enskild reklamation (private complaint) in certain contexts. The contrast with offentlig (public) or juridisk (legal) is a common organizational principle in Swedish law and administration.

Etymologically, enskild is formed from elements meaning one or single and distinct or separated, combining to convey privacy or personal ownership. The term remains a standard part of Swedish vocabulary for indicating private status or private use in legal, financial, and everyday language.