Lakillinen

Lakillinen is a Finnish adjective used to describe something that is created, defined, or mandated by statute. In legal and governmental texts it is used to distinguish rules, rights, obligations, and standards that are set forth in law from those based on customary practice, administrative decisions, or common law. The term may appear in discussions of regulatory frameworks, penalties, or official procedures that derive from statutory provisions.

Etymology and usage nuances: Lakillinen is formed from the noun laki (law) with the suffix -llinen, which signals a characteristic or relation. In strict legal language lakillinen often signals that a rule or obligation rests on statute rather than on informal norms. In everyday Finnish, laillinen is more common to mean lawful or legal in a general sense, while lakillinen emphasizes statutory origin. In practice, the distinction can be subtle and the terms may be used interchangeably in some contexts, but lakillinen commonly points to statute-based authority.

Grammatical notes: As an adjective, lakillinen agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, for example lakillinen säädös (a statutory regulation) or lakilliset velvoitteet (statutory obligations). It appears primarily in formal or technical language and is less common in casual speech.

Related terms: laki (law), säädös (regulation), oikeudellinen (legal/justice-related), lainsäädäntö (legislation). See also laillinen, which covers the broader sense of lawful or permissible under the law.