ástæða

ástæða is an Icelandic noun meaning a reason, justification, or basis for something. It denotes the grounds for a belief, decision, or action and can refer to both motive and explanatory ground. In everyday Icelandic one speaks of “góðar ástæður” for making a choice or holding a view, and one can say “ástæða fyrir [something]” to indicate why something is the case. In formal contexts—such as philosophy, law, or academic writing—ástæða is used to describe the grounds or justification for a claim, decision, or policy, often together with supporting evidence.

Distinctions: Related concepts include “orsök” (causal origin or cause of an event) and “rök” (reasoning or argument in a logical sense). Ástæða or einstaklega ástæða tends to emphasize justification or motivation, while orsök focuses on cause in a more empirical sense. Rök is the element used to persuade or prove a point.

Usage notes: The phrase “góðar ástæður” is common, as are constructions like “ástæða fyrir X” to specify the grounds for X. The word is primarily abstract and does not refer to physical processes.

See also: orsök, rök, réttlæting, grundvöll.