samhälleliga

Samhälleliga is a Swedish adjective meaning related to society or pertaining to the social realm. It is used to describe phenomena, norms, structures, problems, or policies that concern society as a whole rather than individuals, the economy, or the state alone. In English, it is often translated as “societal.”

The form samhälleliga is typically used with plural nouns, for example samhälleliga normer (societal norms) or samhälleliga strukturer (societal structures). The base form samhällelig is used in singular contexts, and the neuter singular form is samhälleligt, as in ett samhälleligt problem. The word derives from samhälle, meaning society, combined with the adjectival suffix -lig, meaning “-like” or “pertaining to.”

Samhälleliga concepts appear across disciplines such as sociology, political science, and public policy. They are used to distinguish broad, collective, or structural aspects of social life from individual or purely economic factors. For instance, discussions of a country’s social welfare system may address samhälleliga needs or outcomes, and debates about norms or values may refer to samhälleliga influenser on behavior.

Translations and related terms vary by context, but samhällelig generally corresponds to the English “societal” or “social” when referring to the level of society as a whole. It is distinct from political or economic qualifiers and is commonly found in academic writing and public discourse when emphasizing collective social dimensions.