Ensisijaisena

Ensisijaisena is a Finnish adverb meaning “as primary” or “in the first place.” It derives from the adjective ensisijainen, which describes something with priority or principal status. Ensisijaisena is used to indicate the central or preferred role of a subject, choice, or action in relation to others, especially when ordering options, describing treatment approaches, or outlining priorities.

In everyday and formal language, ensisijaisena functions to mark priority. Common contexts include policy documents, healthcare guidelines, project planning, and media reporting. Examples include phrases that translate roughly as “the goal is to reduce emissions as a primary aim” or “as the primary option, X is chosen.” The term helps readers and listeners understand that something is intended to come first, before other considerations. The related adjective ensisijainen means “primary” or “principal,” while the adverb ensisijaisesti means “primarily” or “mainly” and is used in slightly different grammatical constructions.

Nuance: ensisijaisena signals priority without necessarily excluding other options or actions. It ranks something above alternatives, but context often allows later steps or secondary choices to follow. The term is common in Finnish in political, administrative, medical, and academic writing, and is readily understood in everyday speech.