seriöse

Seriøse is a Scandinavian adjective form meaning serious or earnest. In Danish and Norwegian, the base form is seriøs, and seriøse is the plural form used with plural nouns. It appears both attributively (de seriøse medarbejdere) and predicatively (Han er seriøs). The word conveys gravity, sincerity, or a lack of playfulness.

Usage notes include that seriøse is commonly applied to people, actions, or situations that require seriousness, such as work, debates, or decisions. The adverbial form is seriøst, meaning seriously, as in han talte seriøst or de tog sagen seriøst. The term can combine with nouns to describe topics or matters of import, for example en seriøs debat or et seriøst emne.

Etymology traces seriøs to the French word sérieux, meaning serious, with the sense carried into Danish and Norwegian, and ultimately linked to the Latin sereus/serius. The form seriøse represents the plural inflection of the adjective in these languages.

In cross-linguistic context, Danish and Norwegian share this form and close equivalents exist in Swedish (seriös). While meaning overlaps, each language has its own spelling conventions and inflection patterns. Seriøse remains a standard adjective in contemporary Danish and Norwegian usage, employed to express seriousness in people, discussions, and topics.