Tõsisematel

Tõsisematel is an Estonian grammatical form of the adjective tõsisem, meaning more serious. It is the plural adessive form used when describing plural nouns in oblique cases, most commonly in phrases that mean “in more serious cases” or “under more serious circumstances.” The form appears in formal, legal, and analytical writing.

In usage, tõsisematel typically accompanies plural nouns in the adessive case. For example, in phrases such as tõsisematel juhtudel or tõsisematel asjaoludel, the adjective agrees with the noun in number (plural) and case (adessive), conveying a contrast to less serious or ordinary cases. These constructions are standard in Estonian and are used to introduce more stringent or severe conditions.

Common related forms include the base form tõsisem (more serious), the nominative plural tõsisemad (the more serious ones), and the genitive/partitive plural tõsisemate in other contexts. The word’s etymology traces back to the adjective tõsine (serious) with the comparative suffix, combined with the adessive plural ending to modify a plural noun.

See also: Estonian adjective comparison, Estonian grammar of cases, examples of formal Estonian usage.

In summary, tõsisematel is the inflected form used with plural nouns in the adessive/oblique context to express emphasis on increased seriousness, as in “in more serious cases.”