Määritelmällisesti

Määritelmällisesti is a Finnish adverb meaning "in a definitional sense" or "by definition." It is used to indicate that a statement follows from a definition rather than from observation, experiment, or experience. In analytic or philosophical writing, the term helps distinguish what is true by the formal meaning of terms from what is observed empirically.

Etymology and form: the word is built from the noun määritelmä (definition) combined with the suffix -llinen to form an adjective meaning "definitional," which is then turned into the adverb -isesti. The result describes how a claim is justified or derived, not merely how something appears or behaves in practice.

Usage and nuance: määritelmällisesti signals that a claim rests on the prescribed meaning of terms or on an agreed-upon definition. It is common in mathematics, logic, linguistics, and philosophy, where precise terminology matters. It can be contrasted with empirically, practically, or observationally to show different bases for reasoning.

Examples:

- Määritelmällisesti nolla on pienin ei-negatiivinen kokonaisluku. (By definition, zero is the smallest non-negative integer.)

- Määritelmällisesti sana "koira" tarkoittaa eläintä, joka kuuluu koiraeläinten heimoon ja jota pidetään lemmikkinä monissa kulttuureissa.

See also: definitional, definitional clarity, definitional versus empirical reasoning.