fælles

Fælles is a Danish adjective meaning "shared" or "common." It describes something that is owned, used, or undertaken by two or more parties rather than by an individual. In everyday language it appears in phrases such as fælles ansvar (shared responsibility), fælles beslutning (joint decision), and fælles ejendom (common property). It is often used to indicate cooperation, collective action, or communal arrangements, such as in municipal or organizational contexts where resources, duties, or privileges are described as fælles.

The term is frequently found in compound nouns and set phrases. It is closely related to Norwegian bokmål felles, which carries the same meaning, reflecting shared linguistic roots in the Scandinavian languages. Etymologically, fælles derives from older Germanic roots associated with gathering or joint activity, though modern Danish uses it primarily as an attributive adjective.

In discourse about society and policy, fælles is used to emphasize collective over individual aspects, and appears in discussions of common goods, shared services, and collaborative governance. See also fællesskab (community), fællesråd (joint council).