Ennuste

Ennuste is a Finnish noun meaning forecast, prognosis, or projection. It denotes an expected future state derived from data, models, or expert judgment and is used across disciplines such as meteorology, economics, and demography. Common collocations include sääennuste (weather forecast), talousennuste (economic forecast), and väestöennuste (population projection).

Etymology and related terms: The word derives from the verb ennustaa "to predict," with the noun-forming suffix -e. Related terms include ennustus (prediction or prophecy) and ennustaja (predictor or fortune-teller). The nuance of ennuste is often closer to a forecast or projection rather than a direct prediction.

Usage and interpretation: Ennuste is typically presented with an indication of uncertainty, such as a confidence interval, scenario, or probability distribution. It may be produced by statistical models, simulations, or expert assessment. In practice, forecasts inform planning in weather services, government policy, business strategy, and risk management.

See also: Sääennuste, talousennuste, väestöennuste; forecasting; prediction.