faktuaaliseen

Faktuaalinen is a Finnish adjective meaning factual or based on facts. In everyday language, it is used to describe information, statements, or content that can be verified with evidence and is not primarily interpretive or opinion-based. The form faktuaaliseen is the illative singular used in phrases such as faktuaaliseen tietoon pohjautuva tutkimus, meaning a study based on factual information.

Linguistically, faktuaalinen is built with the common Finnish adjective suffix -inen, indicating a property or characteristic. The illative form faktuaaliseen appears when the speaker refers to moving toward or referring to factual content, as in "siirtyä faktuaaliseen tarkasteluun" (to move to a factual/investigative perspective). The root fak- is related to facts or data, and the term is a standard element in Finnish discussions of evidence, research, journalism, and science.

Usage and nuance: faktuaalinen is used to distinguish material grounded in verifiable data from interpretative, speculative, or subjective material. In journalism and media literacy, the distinction between faktuaaliseen ja arveluun pohjautuva raportointi (fact-based versus conjecture-based reporting) is common. In academia, faktuaalinen tieto denotes data-supported conclusions, while contrasting with hypothesis-based or opinion-based accounts. The related noun faktuaalisuus refers to the quality of being factual.

See also: fakta, faktat, faktuaalisuus, fact-based. The term is part of Finnish terminology for evaluating credibility, evidence, and objectivity in communication.