informaalsete

Informaalsete is the genitive plural form of the Estonian adjective informaalne, which means informal. It is used in phrases where the noun it modifies is in the genitive plural, indicating possession or association with multiple informal aspects, practices, or groups. The form is a product of Estonian adjective agreement and the genitive plural suffix -sete.

In practice, informaalsete appears in policy, academic, and public discourse to describe informal aspects within organizations, networks, or social life. Examples include informaalsete suhete (informal relationships), informaalsete tavade (informal practices), informaalsete võrgustike (informal networks), and informaalsete kokkulepete (informal agreements). The word itself is not a standalone noun but a grammatical form used to modify a noun in a specific case.

Usage notes and related terms: informaalsete is contrasted with the corresponding nominative or genitive forms of informaalne used with different noun cases (for example, informal relationships in other grammatical cases). In Estonian, adjectives decline to agree with the noun in case, number, and definiteness, so informaalsete will vary accordingly in other contexts. The concept often appears in sociolinguistic, organizational, and regulatory discussions when distinguishing informal practices from formal procedures.