omöjlig

Omöjlig is a Swedish adjective meaning "impossible" or "not feasible." It describes tasks, situations, or propositions that cannot be done or are highly unlikely, and it can be used both attributively before a noun and predicatively in constructions such as "Det är omöjligt" (It is impossible).

In grammar, omöjlig inflects like a regular Swedish adjective. Indefinite singulars: en omöjlig uppgift (common gender) and ett omöjligt beslut (neuter). Plural: omöjliga uppgifter. Definite forms: den omöjliga uppgiften, de omöjliga uppgifterna. The word is commonly used to emphasize infeasibility under given conditions, rather than absolute logical impossibility in all possible worlds.

Etymology-wise, omöjlig is formed from the negating prefix om- attached to möjl-ig, derived from the word möjligh meaning feasible or possible. The root möjl-ig traces back to Old Norse and Proto-Germanic, with cognates in other Scandinavian languages such as Norwegian mulig and Danish mulig, all sharing the sense of feasibility.

Usage and nuance: omöjlig is a strong term and can carry hyperbolic or practical implications. It often indicates that something cannot be accomplished under current constraints, rather than asserting universal impossibility. In formal writing it signals a clear assessment of infeasibility.

See also: möjligen (perhaps), omöjlighet (impossibility), möjliga (related adjective form).