Tosiasiallinen

Tosiasiallinen is a Finnish adjective meaning based on facts or factual. It describes content, statements, or analyses that rest on actual facts and credible evidence rather than opinion or speculation. The term is widely used in journalism, science, law, and public discourse to signal a factual basis for claims.

Etymology and nuance: The word derives from tosiasia, meaning a fact or reality, combined with the suffix -linen, which forms adjectives indicating a characteristic. The related adverb is tosiasiallisesti. Common noun forms include tosiasialinen tieto or tosiasiallinen tilanne, referring to information or situations that reflect reality.

Usage: Tosiasiallinen is often contrasted with subjective or interpretive language. It emphasizes empirical grounding or verifiable data. In texts, it can modify nouns such as väite (claim), tieto (information), tai raportti (report). Contributors may use tosiasiallinen to flag that a statement has a factual basis and thus is suitable for evidence-based discussion or decision-making.

Examples:

- "Väite on tosiasiallinen, jos se vastaa todellisia tosiasioita."

- "Tosiasiallinen tilanne osoittaa tarpeen lisätutkimukselle."

See also: fakta, tosiasia, todiste, faktuaalinen, faktapohjainen.