Keskeisimpia

Keskeisimpia is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the adjective keskeinen, meaning central or essential. It is the partitive plural form of the superlative keskeisimmat (or keskeisimmät in some dialects), and it is used when the reference is to “some of the most essential things” or to emphasize priority within a larger set. In practice, keskeisimpia translates roughly as “the most essential [things]” or “the most central matters.”

The form is common in formal, analytical, and academic writing, where speakers highlight key elements, priorities, or considerations. It typically accompanies a noun in the partitive case, for example: keskeisimpia kysymyksiä (the most essential questions) or keskeisimpia asioita (the most essential matters). In other contexts it can be used with nominative phrases to denote the subset of items regarded as most important: Keskeisimmät asiat ovat turvallisuus, luotettavuus ja kustannustehokkuus.

Nuance and usage notes: keskeisimpia is not a proper noun and is usually written lowercase unless it appears at the beginning of a sentence or in a title. It contrasts with keskeiset (the essential things in general) and with keskeisimmät (the most essential items in the nominative plural). The form helps signal prioritization and focus within a broader discussion or analysis.

Related terms include keskeinen (essential), keskeiset (essential things), and keskeisimmät (the most essential, nominative plural).