Väite

Väite is a Finnish noun meaning "claim" or "assertion." It denotes a statement presented as true, but not necessarily proven. In science, journalism, and everyday speech, a väite is a proposition that can be supported or refuted by evidence, argument, or data. When evaluating a väite, readers or listeners look for justification and sources; unsubstantiated väitteet are typically treated with skepticism.

The verb from which väite is derived is väittää, to claim. Related forms include väittäminen (the act of asserting) and väittäjä (a claimant or proponent). Common inflections are väite (singular nominative), väitteen (genitive), väitettä (partitive), and väitteet (plural nominative).

In Finnish, a väite is distinct from todistus (evidence) and hypothesis (hypoteesi). It appears in research summaries, news reporting, legal documents, and everyday argument. Example: "Tutkimuksen väite on, että X vaikuttaa Y" translates to "The study's claim is that X affects Y."