valgfri

Valgfri is an adjective used in Danish and Norwegian to describe something that a person can choose rather than something that is mandatory. The word is formed from valg, meaning "choice," and fri, meaning "free," conveying the freedom to select among alternatives. In usage, valgfri indicates optionality: services, features, or actions that a person may opt into or decline. It is common in consumer contracts, insurance policies, educational settings, and public administration to label options as valgfri, as opposed to mandatory elements. For example, a valgfri tilvalg means an optional addon; a valgfri transport service in a contract is an optional option; in education it may describe elective courses or modules. In health care, some treatments might be described as valgfri, indicating patients can choose whether to have them.

In Norwegian, the related noun valgfrihet denotes "freedom of choice." In Danish, valgfrihed or valgfrihet express the same concept, with valgfri typically functioning as the adjective. The term is distinct from frivillig, which emphasizes voluntary participation rather than the presence of options; however, the two terms can overlap in contexts where a voluntary choice is also optional.