Ensiarvoinen

Ensiarvoinen is Finnish an adjective meaning of primary importance or foremost significance. It is used to describe ideas, tasks, or criteria that take precedence over others in decision-making, planning, or evaluation. The term emphasizes primacy and is common in formal or policy-related language, as well as in organizational guidelines and ethical codes.

The word is typically joined with nouns such as tehtävä (task), prioriteetti (priority), kriteeri (criterion), arvo (value), or periaate (principle) to denote that these elements have the highest status in a given context. For example, a governing document might state that climate policy is ensiarvoinen prioriteetti, or that education is an ensiarvoinen tekijä for long-term success. It is generally opposed to toissijainen, meaning secondary, and is sometimes discussed together with ensisijainen, a closely related term meaning primary or first in order.

Etymologically, ensiarvoinen is formed from arvo (value or merit) with a prefix that signals primacy, conveying the sense of being worthy of the first value. In usage, the term tends to appear in formal or technical registers more often than in casual speech.

See also: ensisijainen, toissijainen, prioriteetti, arvo, periaate.