kansainväline

Kansainvälinen is a Finnish adjective meaning international or cross-national. It describes phenomena, institutions, or activities that involve more than one nation or operate across national borders. Common usages include kansainvälinen kauppa (international trade), kansainvälinen oikeus (international law), kansainvälinen politiikka (international politics), and kansainvälinen yhteisö (the international community). The adverb form is kansainvälisesti, and the noun kansainvälisyys refers to the quality or state of being international. The comparative kansainvälisempi and the superlative kansainvälisin are used when comparing degrees of international scope.

Etymology and usage: Kansainvälinen is a compound of kansa (nation, people) and välinen, related to väli (between, among). Together they yield a meaning essentially “between nations” or “across nations.” As a Finnish adjective, it agrees with the noun it modifies and forms standard inflections within ordinary sentence structure.

Usage notes: The term is neutral in tone and common in formal, academic, and policy contexts. It is often preferred to distinguish cross-border or international aspects from related but distinct ideas such as ulkomaan (foreign) or maailmanlaajuinen (worldwide), which carry different nuances. Kansainvälinen is frequently encountered in discussions of international relations, international law, globalization, and cross-border cooperation.

History: The word has been in Finnish for the modern era and gained prominence with Finland’s engagement in international institutions, treaties, and global affairs during the 20th century, continuing to be widely used in contemporary discourse.