Pääpiirteiltään

Pääpiirteiltään is a Finnish adverb that translates to "in broad outline," "in general terms," or "by and large." It is used to describe something that is being presented or understood in a general way, without going into specific details or minute points. This term is particularly useful when summarizing complex information, giving an overview of a topic, or stating a general truth.

For example, one might say that a plan is "pääpiirteiltään" agreed upon, meaning that the main points have been accepted, but the finer details are still under discussion. Similarly, a historical event could be described "pääpiirteiltään" to give a general understanding of what happened without delving into every single contributing factor or consequence. The word emphasizes the overarching structure or essential elements of something, suggesting that a more detailed examination would reveal further nuances.

The usage of "pääpiirteiltään" implies that a more in-depth analysis is possible or even expected, but for the current purpose, a high-level summary is sufficient. It helps in communicating information efficiently, especially in situations where time is limited or the audience may not require exhaustive detail. It is a common and useful term in everyday Finnish conversation and writing.