Rehellinen

Rehellinen is a Finnish adjective meaning honest or truthful. It describes a person who tells the truth, acts with integrity, or a statement that is accurate. In Finnish, rehellinen can be used both predicatively (Hän on rehellinen) and attributively (rehellinen ihminen, rehellinen vastaus). The adjective inflects like other Finnish adjectives, so forms such as rehellisen, rehellistä, and rehellisiä appear depending on number and case.

The word is a native Finnish term with a long history in the language; its exact historical development is not always detailed in modern summaries. It is semantically linked to the noun rehellisyys, which denotes the concept of honesty or integrity, and to related terms such as vilpitön (sincere) and luotettava (trustworthy).

Antonym: epärehellinen, meaning dishonest.

Usage notes: Besides moral honesty, rehellinen can carry nuance of frankness or straightforwardness, as in a rehellinen vastaus (“a frank/clear answer”). It appears in both everyday speech and formal contexts, and it does not by itself imply criminal behavior—only truthfulness and reliability in words or actions.

In summary, rehellinen is a core Finnish term for describing honesty and forthrightness, widely used to characterize people, statements, and conduct.