Määritellyt

Määritellyt is a Finnish word formed as the plural past participle of the verb määritellä, meaning defined or specified. It functions as an adjective and, in some contexts, as a shorthand noun referring to items that have been defined. The form is commonly used in technical, legal, scientific, and educational texts to indicate that a term, concept, or parameter has a formal definition.

As an adjective, määritellyt modifies a noun in the nominative plural, for example määritellyt termit (defined terms), määritellyt kriteerit (defined criteria), or määritellyt suureet (defined quantities). The same participle can appear in other cases and numbers through standard Finnish inflection, such as määritellyn (partitive singular) or määritellyt termien (genitive plural) in longer phrases.

In usage, määritellyt is often encountered in glossaries, method sections, and legal or technical documents where precise definitions are essential. It helps distinguish things that have a formal, specified meaning from those that are undefined or generalized. The contrast with undefined or unspecified terms is clear in phrases such as määrittelemättömät termit (undefined terms) or määriteltyjen termien lista (list of defined terms).

Etymology-wise, määritellyt derives from the verb määritellä (to define, to specify) plus the past passive participle suffix, with plural inflection. Related forms include määritelty (singular, defined) and the related noun-like use of the phrase in headings or lists. Overall, määritellyt signals that a defined set or category has been established in the discourse.