víðtækri

Víðtækri is an Icelandic inflected form of the adjective víðtækur, which means wide-ranging or versatile. In modern Icelandic it appears when describing a feminine noun in certain cases, most commonly the dative or genitive. For example, víðtækri nálgun can be translated as “to/with a versatile, broad approach,” and víðtækri aðferð as “a versatile method.” The form thus reflects agreement with the noun it modifies.

Etymology and sense: the word derives from Old Norse vidtækr, built from víð- “wide” and tækr “fit, capable.” In contemporary usage, víðtækur and its inflected forms convey breadth of applicability, adaptability, or inclusiveness, and are frequently used in discussions of research, technology, policy, and strategy to signal breadth of scope.

Usage notes: víðtækri serves to describe contexts or instruments as broad or adaptable when the noun is feminine and in the relevant case. The standard comparative form is víðtækari, used when saying that one approach or method is more versatile than another (e.g., víðtækari nálgun, “a more versatile approach”). The word’s versatility in Icelandic reflects its emphasis on breadth and applicability across domains.

See also: víðtækur, víðtækni, broadening of scope in Icelandic discourse.