oönskad

Oönskad is a Swedish adjective meaning unwanted or undesired. It is used to describe people, objects, actions, or outcomes that are not desired by someone or by a policy, rule, or plan. The term appears across everyday speech as well as in medical, social, and political contexts, where it helps distinguish between what is sought after and what is not.

Origin and form: The base adjective is önskad, meaning desired. The prefix o- negates the meaning, producing oönskad. Swedish adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number, so you can say en oönskad konsekvens (a feminine noun) or ett oönskat resultat (a neuter noun). Other common compounds include oönskad effekt, oönskade konsekvenser, and oönskad graviditet.

Usage and nuance: Oönskad is a neutral descriptive term, but its use can carry negative or value-laden connotations depending on context. It is frequently found in discussions of side effects, risks, or unintended results in medicine, research, and policy, as well as in everyday conversations about things people do not want or need. In more formal or technical writing, it often pairs with nouns like effekt, konsekvens, eller tillstånd to specify what is undesired.

Related terms: The opposite is önskad, meaning desired. A closely related adjective is oönskat, the neuter form used with neuter nouns. The word oönskad sits within a broader Swedish negation system built around the o- prefix.

See also: önskad; oönskat; oönskad konsekvens; oönskad graviditet.