Epätäsmällinen

Epätäsmällinen is a Finnish adjective meaning not precise or not accurate. It describes something that lacks exactness, specificity, or clarity in measurements, statements, descriptions, estimates, or plans. The term can carry a neutral or evaluative nuance depending on context, and it is commonly used in both technical and everyday language to indicate insufficient precision rather than deliberate falsehood.

The word is formed with the negative prefix epä- attached to täsmällinen (precise). Its basic form is epätäsmällinen, with comparative and superlative forms epätäsmällisempi and epätäsmällisimmä, respectively. The noun form describing the concept is epätäsmällisyys, and the adverbial form is epätäsmällisesti, meaning “imprecisely.”

In usage, epätäsmällinen often refers to data, measurements, conclusions, or descriptions that need more detail or accuracy. For example, a report might be criticized as epätäsmällinen if its figures lack a defined margin of error, if a timetable omits critical steps, or if a statement leaves important qualifiers unspecified. It is distinct from related terms like epätarkka (inaccurate or imprecise in a practical sense) and epäselvä (unclear or vague in a communicative sense), though overlaps exist in everyday language.

See also: täsmällinen, täsmällisyys, epätarkkuus, epäsuorasti.