Viivästyttää

Viivästyttää is a Finnish verb meaning to cause to be delayed or to slow down; to postpone a process or action. It denotes intentional or involuntary hindrance that increases duration or obstructs progress. The term is common in project management, administration, logistics, and finance, where deadlines, schedules, or payments may be delayed.

The verb is transitive and formed with the noun viivästys (delay) plus the causative suffix -yttää. It contrasts with viivästyä, which means “to be delayed” intransitively. Common constructions include viivästyttää aikataulua (to delay the schedule), viivästyttää maksua (to delay a payment). In passive or past forms one may encounter viivästytettiin (it was delayed), viivästyy (is delayed), or viivästettiin (was delayed).

Usage notes: Viivästyttää often conveys a cause-and-effect sense, where the subject is responsible for causing the delay. It can apply to formal contexts (contracts, regulations) as well as everyday language. Related noun forms include viivästyminen (delay), viivästys (delay), and viivästyttävä (delaying, as a participle).