Lyhytkestoisen

Lyhytkestoisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective lyhytkestoinen, which means short-term or short-lasting. The term is used to describe phenomena, durations, or arrangements that are intended to last only a brief period. It is common in healthcare, business, education, and research to specify that a program, treatment, project, or effect is short-term, in contrast with longer-lasting or permanent alternatives. The word reflects the Finnish tendency to form compound adjectives that specify temporal characteristics.

Lyhytkestoinen is formed from lyhyt (short) and kestoinen (lasting), with the suffix -oinen that denotes a characteristic. Like other Finnish adjectives, lyhytkestoinen declines to agree with the noun it modifies. The genitive singular form is lyhytkestoisen; partitive singular is lyhytkestoista; nominative plural is lyhytkestoiset. In sentences, lyhytkestoisen often precedes a noun in genitive, as in lyhytkestoisen hoidon vaikutus, or appears with the noun in different cases depending on syntax.

Usage notes: The term conveys a temporal constraint that can influence planning, evaluation, and policy. In contrast to synonyms such as tilapäinen (temporary) or väliaikainen (interim), lyhytkestoisen emphasizes the duration as the primary attribute rather than the nature of change. It frequently appears in formal writing, such as reports, guidelines, and academic texts, but is also used in everyday language to describe concise arrangements or periods. See also related adjectives like pitkäaikainen (long-term) and tilapäinen (temporary).