Päätös

Päätös is a Finnish noun that denotes the result of deciding: a decision, resolution, or ruling. It can refer to a personal choice as well as an official determination. The core idea is the completion of a decision-making process and its consequences for actions, rights, or obligations. In everyday language, a decision may be preventive, strategic, or cosmetic, but in formal contexts it often has a binding or procedural character.

In everyday use, people say they will “tehdä päätöksen” or that they have made a “päätös.” In public and legal contexts, a päätös is a formal decision issued by a public authority, such as a municipality, a government agency, or a court. Such decisions may define rights or duties and are often subject to appeal or review within a prescribed period. In business or organizational settings, boards and managers issue decisions on strategy, budgets, or policy. The distinction between päätös and related terms like tuomio (verdict) or resolución is nuanced: a päätös is the outcome of a decision-making process, while a tuomio is a judicial ruling about guilt and punishment in criminal cases.

Etymologically, päätös comes from the verb päättää (to decide). The word has plural form päätökset and is used in compounds such as päätöksenteko (decision-making) and päätöksen tekeminen (the act of making a decision). In legal and administrative prose, a päätös often includes grounds or justification and specifies how it can be appealed or implemented.

Examples include: The city council made a päätös on the construction project. The court issued a päätös in the matter.