Útskilið

Útskilið is an Icelandic term that denotes something that has been made explicit or clearly explained. In academic, legal, and technical prose, it can function as an adjective to indicate that material has been explicitly broken down, clarified, and presented in a way that leaves little room for ambiguity.

Etymology and sense: The form is built from the prefix ú- meaning outward or completely, attached to the past participle skilið/skilið of skilja, the verb that covers both “to understand” and “to explain.” The resulting word conveys the sense of “made clear” or “explicit.” In practice, útskilið signals that a discussion, data set, or set of instructions has been itemized or otherwise clarified for precise understanding.

Usage: Útskilið is most likely to appear in formal writing where authors need to highlight that a section provides explicit detail rather than a general overview. It is commonly used when presenting breakdowns of costs, procedures, definitions, or steps, and it can help differentiate explicit content from implicit or assumed material.

Examples:

- The costs and responsibilities are útskilið in Appendix A.

- Í þessum kafla er útskilið hvernig verkefnið er skipulagt. (In this chapter, the way the project is organized is made explicit.)

See also: útskýra (to explain), útskýrt (explained), skilja (to understand/to explain).

Notes: Útskilið appears mainly in formal Icelandic writing. For authoritative usage, consult Icelandic dictionaries or style guides, as some contexts may prefer related forms such as útskýrt or widely used synonyms depending on nuance.