rökstyður

Rökstyður is an Icelandic verb meaning to justify or to provide reasons and evidence for a claim. It describes the act of backing up an assertion with arguments, data, or normative principles. The word is common in formal writing, debates, law, and academic contexts where claims are expected to be grounded in justification.

Etymology and forms: The verb is built from rök meaning “reason” and styðja meaning “to support.” The infinitive is rökstyðja; the present tense third-person singular is rökstyður. Related nouns include rökstuðningur (justification, supporting argument) and röksemd (argument).

Usage: In Icelandic, to rökstyða a claim means to present reasons and evidence that support it. In persuasive or analytical writing, a strong rökstuðningur strengthens the overall argument. Common collocations include röksemi (logical reasoning) and rökhyggja (rationalism). Example: Rannsóknin rökstyður ályktun sína með gögnum. (The study justifies its conclusion with data.)

See also: röksemd, rökfæra, rökstuðningur.