Ristiriitonta

Ristiriitonta is a Finnish adjective meaning not contradictory or without internal contradictions. It is used to describe statements, arguments, theories, or systems that are logically consistent and free from mutually exclusive elements. The opposite form is ristiriitoinen, meaning contradictory.

Etymology and grammar: the word is built from the noun ristiriita (contradiction) with the suffix -ton, which yields the meaning “without” or “lacking,” and its partitive form ristiriitonta. In use, ristiriitonta modifies a noun in contexts such as väite, teoria, järjestelmä, or ajatus. For example, väite can be described as ristiriitoton (a non-contradictory statement), while in plural form the adjective is ristiriidottomat or used in partitive as ristiriitontia väitteitä.

Usage: the term appears in philosophy, logic, mathematics, and scientific writing to signal internal consistency. It can also be used more broadly in everyday language to indicate that a plan or narrative does not contain conflicting elements. Culturally, Finnish writers may contrast ristiriitonta reasoning with ristiriitoinen tai epäjohdonmukainen argumentti to emphasize logical soundness.

Related terms: johdonmukainen (coherent, consistent), looginen (logical), konsistentti (loanword in some contexts for “consistent”). Nuances exist between “ristiriitoton” and “konsistentti,” with ristiriitoton emphasizing absence of contradictions and johdonmukainen emphasizing overall coherence.

See also: ristiriita, ristiriitoinen, johdonmukaisuus, looginen pätevyys.