opålitliga

Opålitliga is a Swedish adjective meaning unreliable or untrustworthy. It describes persons, statements, sources, or promises that lack consistency, accuracy, or credibility. The base form opålitlig is used with singular nouns (en opålitlig person, ett opålitligt löfte) and the plural form opålitliga is used with plural nouns (opålitliga källor, opålitliga uppgifter). The related noun is opålitlighet, denoting unreliability or untrustworthiness. The adverbial form is opålitligt, as in “Det verkar opålitligt” or “Det var opålitligt att…”.

Usage and nuance: Opålitligt is common in journalism, research, and everyday language when veracity or reliability are in question. It can refer to people’s conduct, as well as to data, claims, or documents. Importantly, opålitlighet does not necessarily imply intentional deception; it may result from incomplete information, bias, or methodological flaws. The term conveys a negative assessment but is typically descriptive rather than legally charged.

Etymology: The word is formed with the negating prefix o- attached to pålitlig, meaning reliable or trustworthy. The common suffix -lig turns the root into an adjective.

See also: pålitlig, tillförlitlig, opålitlighet, tillförlitlighet.

Examples: “En opålitlig källa ger ofta motsägelsefulla uppgifter.” “Detta påstående verkar opålitligt utan verifiering.”