epäedustavasta

Epäedustava is a Finnish adjective meaning not representative or unrepresentative. It is formed with the negating prefix epä- attached to edustava, which means representative. The form epäedustavasta is the elative singular inflection of the adjective, used to describe a noun from which something originates or emerges in a non-representative way. In practice, epäedustavasta is most commonly seen in phrases such as epäedustavasta otoksesta (“from an unrepresentative sample”).

Grammatically, epäedustava follows the regular inflection patterns of Finnish adjectives. When declined, its endings align with the case and number of the noun it modifies. For example: epäedustavan otoksen (genitive singular), epäedustavaa otosta (partitive singular), epäedustavasta otoksesta (elative singular). The prefix epä- does not alter the core meaning of the stem beyond negation.

Usage and nuance: epäedustava is typically used in scholarly, statistical, or media contexts to indicate that a data set, image, argument, or depiction does not accurately reflect the broader population or situation. Calling something epäedustava signals potential bias or limited applicability, and it often accompanies recommendations for additional data or alternative sampling.

See also: edustava, epäedustavuus, otos, näyte.