Nimitystä

Nimitys is a Finnish noun that refers to the designation or appointment of a person to a position or title, as well as the act of designating someone. It originates from the verb nimittää (to appoint) and the noun nimi (name) through the nominalizing suffix -itys. The term is used in several related senses that are closely linked to official authority and designation.

The primary meaning is the formal appointment of a person to an office or role, often by an institution or authority such as a government, a board, or a university. In this sense, nimitys covers both the act and its result—the person who has been designated and the position to which they are designated. The expression virkanimitys specifically denotes an official appointment to an office, while nimitys can also refer more generally to a professional or honorary designation.

In public administration and legal language, nimitys appears in discussions of procedures and authority. It is often contrasted with valinta, which denotes selection or election, typically involving a choice among candidates rather than an appointment by an overriding authority. Related terms include nimitysmenettely (the appointment procedure) and nimittää or nimittäminen (to appoint or the act of appointing).

Nimitys is also used in academic and corporate contexts to describe appointments to posts or titles, such as a professorship or leadership position, though linguistic nuances may vary by field. Overall, nimitys centers on designating a person to a defined role or title by an authorized body.