Uskottavasti

Uskottavasti is a Finnish adverb meaning “in a credible or believable manner; plausibly; convincingly.” It describes how something is presented or perceived rather than asserting its objective truth. The word is formed from the adjective uskottava, meaning “believable,” with the adverbial suffix -sti, following standard Finnish word-formation rules.

Usage and nuance: Uskottavasti is used to evaluate the credibility of statements, stories, or evidence. It signals evaluation or hedging rather than certainty. In journalism, fiction, and everyday speech, it can indicate that something sounds plausible or is arguably well-supported. It often accompanies verbs like kuulostaa (to sound) or esittää (to present): Tarina kuulostaa uskottavasti. Tiedot esitettiin uskottavasti tutkijan mukaan. The adverb can describe both spoken and written discourse and is typically chosen when the speaker wants to emphasize plausibility rather than absolute truth.

Related terms and contrasts: The noun uskottavuus means credibility or believability, and the adjective uskottava means believable. The adverb uskottavasti differs from luotettavasti (reliably) and vaikuttavasti (persuasively), which stress reliability or overall persuasiveness rather than plausibility of a claim.