Perusteellinen

Perusteellinen is a Finnish adjective meaning thorough, well-founded, or fundamental. It describes something carried out with careful attention to detail, grounded in evidence or principles, or addressing essential aspects rather than remaining superficial. The term is commonly used in formal and technical contexts such as research, inspection, evaluation, and analysis, as well as in discussions of foundational concepts.

Etymology and usage: the word derives from perusta, meaning basis or foundation, with the suffix -ellinen forming adjectives that denote characteristic or quality. In practice, phrases like perusteellinen tarkastus (thorough inspection), perusteellinen tutkimus (fundamental or comprehensive research), and perusteellinen analyysi (thorough analysis) are typical. The adverbial form, perusteellisesti, describes how something is done, for example, “perusteellisesti arvioitu.”

Nuance and context: perusteellinen emphasizes depth, rigor, and grounding in evidence or principles rather than speed or breadth alone. It often signals a high standard of diligence and is characteristic of scientific, legal, academic, or quality-control language. While close in meaning to synonyms such as huolellinen or perusteet, perusteellinen conveys a stronger sense of foundational soundness and exhaustiveness. In translation, it is commonly rendered as thorough, fundamental, or substantial, depending on the context.