Kriteeriumil

Kriteeriumil is the adessive singular form of the Estonian noun kriteerium, meaning a criterion. It marks a relation to a specific criterion within a sentence and is most commonly found in formal or technical writing where evaluation standards need to be explicitly referenced. The base noun kriteerium is borrowed from Latin criterion and has been integrated into Estonian scientific, legal, and administrative vocabulary.

In usage, kriteeriumil is one option among several for expressing criterion-based reference. The more common constructions to indicate basis or reference are kriteeriumi alusel (on the basis of the criterion) or kriteeriumide alusel (on the basis of the criteria). The adessive form kriteeriumil typically appears in phrases such as kriteeriumil põhinev otsus (a decision based on the criterion) or kriteeriumil esitatud nõuded (the requirements stated with respect to the criterion). In many contexts, writers prefer genitive-based expressions for clarity and flow, especially in longer or analytic texts.

Etymology and related terms: kriteerium derives from Latin criterion. Related Estonian terms include kriteeriumide alusel and kriteeriumiliste referentside ning other word forms that indicate criterion-based relations. The form kriteeriumil is a standard inflection used to specify an entity’s connection to a particular criterion in a sentence.