påtvingad

Påtvingad is a Swedish adjective meaning imposed or forced upon someone. It describes something that is not voluntary and is introduced or maintained by authorities, institutions, or social pressure. The term is commonly used in legal, political, and sociological contexts to discuss policies, norms, or obligations that individuals or groups are expected or required to accept.

The word is formed from the verb påtvinga ("to impose, to force upon") with the adjectival suffix -ad. The compound conveys the sense of external imposition rather than an act chosen freely by the subject.

In discourse, påtvingad can apply to formal mandates such as laws or regulations, as well as to informal pressures embedded in institutions or communities. It is often contrasted with voluntary action (frivillig) or with freedom of choice. Some nuances distinguish it from synonyms like tvångs- (forced through coercion) by focusing on the imposition itself rather than the presence of overt threats.

Examples include discussions of a påtvingad policy requiring vaccination, on påtvingad conformity to a dress code, or debates about whether certain educational reforms are påtvingade on schools and families.

See also: obligatorisk, tvång, frivillighet, sociala normer, myndighetsutövning.