Legitiimiä

Legitiimiä is a Finnish adjective form that denotes legitimacy in a broad sense: something that is accepted as lawful, appropriate, or morally justified within a given social or legal framework. The base adjective is legitiimi, and legitiimiä is its partitive form used when referring to an unspecified quantity or aspect of legitimacy, as in legitiimiä toimintaa or legitiimiä hallintoa.

The term derives from legitiimi, which in Finnish reflects concepts of legitimacy from Latin legitimus through earlier Scandinavian languages; in Finnish discourse it is used alongside synonyms like laillinen (lawful), oikeutettu (justified), and pätevä (valid).

Usage and nuance: Legitiimiä is commonly employed in political, legal, and ethical discussions to describe actors, actions, or institutions that are socially accepted or morally authorized by a community, even if they are legally more ambiguous. It often implies legitimacy granted by consent, legitimacy in the eyes of the public, or legitimacy through transparent procedure. It is distinct from laillinen, which emphasizes formal legality, and from oikeutettu, which emphasizes justification or rights.

Examples: A legitiimiä hallintoa pidetään yllä, kun hallinto säilyttää kansalaisten luottamuksen ja toimii lain puitteissa; legitiimiä liiketoimintaa tarkoittaa yritystä, joka noudattaa sekä lainsäädäntöä että eettisiä normeja, ja nauttii asiakkaiden luottamusta.

See also: Legitimacy, Legality, Oikeutus, Laillisuus.