missgynnar

Missgynna is a Swedish verb meaning to disadvantage or treat someone unfavorably, often through biased, unfair, or prejudiced considerations. The base form is missgynna; the present tense third person singular is missgynnar, as in “det missgynnar vissa grupper.” The related noun missgynnande refers to the act or outcome of disadvantaging someone. Etymologically, the prefix miss- conveys negation, while gynna means to favor, so missgynna denotes harming someone’s interests by denying benefits or imposing unequal conditions.

In usage, missgynna appears in legal, administrative, and public-policy contexts, as well as in journalism and ordinary speech. It describes consequences of decisions, rules, or practices that have a worse impact on particular individuals or groups, even when no explicit prejudice is stated. The concept can cover direct actions that disadvantage someone and indirect effects where a neutral rule disproportionately harms a protected group, a idea closely related to indirect discrimination.

Relation to other terms: missgynna is related to diskriminera (to discriminate), but emphasizes negative impact rather than intent. It can be used to discuss fairness, equality, and the effects of policy in both law and social analysis. See also discrimination, bias, and equal treatment under law.