lagom

L1A1G2O1M3
/ˈlɑː.ɡəm/

noun

The philosophy or ethos of trying to achieve balance in one's life.

OriginSwedish lagom →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounlagom (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe philosophy or ethos of trying to achieve balance in one's life.

    The typical Scandinavian home is the very essence of lagom. It's neither too sparse nor too fussy, neither overly minimalist nor overdone.

    2017, Niki Brantmark, Lagom (Not Too Little, Not Too Much): The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life, unnumbered page
    2 more examples

    Lagom seems to be fighting a losing battle against a world run by the instant gratification of social media, where we all want to be seen and be heard.

    2017, Lola A. Åkerström, Lagom: The Swedish Secret of Living Well, page 178

    Not surprisingly, lagom extends to our cuisine as well – the Swedes take great pride in eating healthily, drawing on their own cooking traditions and the seasons' offerings.

    2017, Steffi Knowles-Dellner, Lagom: The Swedish Art of Eating Harmoniously, unnumbered page

Origin

  1. Swedishlagom“just right”
  2. Englishlagom

Borrowed from Swedish lagom (“just right”).

More words from Swedish

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

gloam
Cite this entry
APA

lagom. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lagom

MLA

“lagom.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lagom. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lagom,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lagom.

Source: lagom on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.