Epäspesifi

Epäspesifi is a Finnish adjective meaning non-specific or unspecific. It is formed with the negating prefix epä- and the word spesifi (from Latin specificus, via Swedish/English influence). The term is common in medical and scientific Finnish to indicate a lack of specificity in description, diagnosis, or result.

In medicine, epäspesifi describes symptoms, signs, or findings that do not point to a single clear cause. Examples include general symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, and fever, as well as imaging or laboratory results that cannot distinguish between several potential diseases. An epäspesifi tulehdus or an epäspesifi löytö signals that further testing or observation is needed to reach a specific diagnosis. The term helps frame uncertainty rather than implying a final conclusion.

In other contexts, epäspesifi can describe communication, data, or phenomena that lack unique or defining features. For instance, a description that is too broad or a result that does not map to a specific category may be termed epäspesifi.

The term is used primarily in professional Finnish but is understood in general discourse for describing vague or indefinite aspects. It is not a diagnosis in itself, but a marker of non-specificity that warrants additional evaluation or clarification.