utsetter

Utsetter is a Norwegian verb meaning to postpone, delay, or defer an event, decision, or deadline to a later time. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Norwegian and covers situations where a plan or obligation is moved to a future point.

Grammatical forms and usage

In Bokmål, the infinitive is å utsette. The present tense is utsetter, the past tense utsatte, and the supine is utsatt. The word is typically used with a direct object describing what is being postponed, for example, møtet, fristen, eller beslutningen. The act of postponing as a concept is often expressed with the noun utsettelse (or, less commonly, utsetting).

Examples

Vi må utsette møtet til neste uke. Fristen ble utsatt i to uker. Han utsetter avgjørelsen til senere i dag. The usage can be formal or informal, and it is common in administrative, business, and everyday contexts.

Related terms and nuances

A related noun is utsettelse, referring to the postponement itself. Synonyms or near-synonyms include forsinke, which emphasizes delaying rather than rescheduling. The term often appears in legal, academic, or bureaucratic writing where planning and deadlines are central.

Etymology

Utsetter derives from the prefix ut- (out, away) combined with sette (to set, to place), signaling moving a planned action away from the original time. The construction reflects a common older Scandinavian pattern of forming verbs that denote postponement or relocation of actions.