rättvis

Rättvis is a Swedish adjective meaning fair, just, or equitable. It describes how something is conducted, decided, or distributed according to principles of justice and equality. The term can modify people, actions, processes, or outcomes, as in en rättvis dom (a fair judgment), ett rättvist beslut (a fair decision), or en rättvis fördelning av resurser (a fair distribution of resources). The opposite form is orättvis (unfair).

Rättvis relates to the noun rättvisa, which denotes the broader concept of justice or fairness. While rättvisa names the ideal or condition, rättvis is used to describe attributes of specific cases, for example en rättvis process eller en rättvis behandling av personer. In common usage, you contrast rättvisa with orättvisa to discuss moral judgments or social conditions.

Etymology: the word is built from rätt, meaning correct or rightful, plus the suffix -vis, which forms adjectives meaning “in the manner of” or “having the quality of.” The construction is typical in Swedish for forming adjectives from roots related to law, ethics, and normativity.

Usage and contexts: in law, ethics, and political discourse, rättvisa distinguishes both procedural fairness (how decisions are made) and distributive fairness (how resources or burdens are shared). In everyday language, it describes moral judgments or social aims, such as jämställdhet and social rättvisa (social justice). While closely related to other concepts like jämlikhet (equality) and opartiskhet (impartiality), rättvis emphasizes the virtue or outcome of fairness in practice.