utøve

Utøve is a Norwegian verb meaning to exercise, perform, or practice. It is used in two broad senses: to carry out or perform a task or skill, such as practicing a craft or profession; and to exercise power, authority, rights, or duties. The term can describe both everyday activities (performing a job or art) and formal acts (exercising legal or political authority).

In usage, utøve is combined with a range of objects. Examples include: å utøve yrket som lege (to practice one’s profession as a doctor), å utøve makt (to exercise power), å utøve myndighet (to exercise authority), and å utøve et kunstverk eller en ferdighet (to perform a piece of art or to practice a skill). The construction is common in formal and administrative language as well as in media reporting.

Morphology and related forms. The infinitive is å utøve; present tense is utøver; past tense is utøvde; past participle is utøvd. The verb’s present participle or adjective form is utøvende, used in phrases like utøvende kunstner meaning “performing artist.” A related noun is utøver, referring to a practitioner or performer (for example, idrettsutøver for an athlete) or a general "one who exercises" a power or duty. Another related noun is utøvelse, meaning the act or process of exercising, such as the utøvelse av myndighet.

Notes on usage. Utøve is standard in both Bokmål and Nynorsk Norwegian, with the same basic meaning in most contexts. It is widely used in political, legal, cultural, and sports discourse to describe the act of carrying out or enforcing something, as well as in everyday language when discussing practice and performance.