Ikäiset

Ikiiset is a Finnish term used to refer to people who are of the same age or belong to a particular age group. The word functions as both an adjective and a nominal phrase and is the plural form of the adjective ikäinen, which means “of age” or “aged” in a general sense. In practice, ikäiset denotes a group of individuals characterized by a shared age, rather than a specific numeric age itself.

The term is common in contexts such as education, statistics, and media, where groups are discussed or analyzed by age. It can be used with modifiers or paired with more precise age descriptors, for example by specifying an age range (such as by using age-specific nouns like 9–12-vuotiaat) or by referring to an age cohort (ikäryhmä). In everyday language, more precise terms are often preferred to avoid ambiguity, especially when the exact age range is important.

Ikäiset should not be confused with terms for older populations. For the elderly, Finnish uses phrases such as vanhukset or eläkeikäiset, while ikäiset can refer to any age group when the exact range is understood from context. The word also contrasts with related forms such as ikä, meaning “age,” and ikäluokka, meaning “age cohort” or “age class,” which are common in demographic discussions.

Overall, ikäiset is a flexible Finnish descriptor for groups defined by shared age, most often refined in use by pairing with explicit age ranges or age-related nouns.