Lukumäärällinen

Lukumäärällinen is a Finnish adjective that translates literally as “quantitative” or “numeric.” It is used to describe data, measures, or analyses that involve numbers and can be counted or measured precisely. The term is widely employed in the social sciences, particularly in statistics, research methodology, and policy analysis, to distinguish quantitative methods from qualitative ones. Quantitative research typically relies on surveys, experiments, or observational studies that generate numerical results, which can be subjected to statistical tests, descriptive statistics, and modeling.

In Finnish linguistics and language studies, lukumäärällinen is applied when discussing corpus-based studies, frequency counts, and metrics derived from language corpora. It also appears in educational contexts, labeling assignments or courses that require students to quantify data and perform mathematical computations. The adjective is often used in academic writing, reports, and official documents to emphasize the empirical basis of conclusions. Comparison terms include kvalitatiivinen, meaning “qualitative,” and semiaktiva, which refers to data that combine both qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The use of lukumäärällinen underscores a focus on measurable phenomena and the systematic, often statistical, examination of variables within the Finnish language and broader research fields.