keinotekoisiin

Keinotekoisiin is a Finnish adjective form meaning artificial or man-made. It is the illative plural form of the adjective keinotekoinen, and it is used to modify nouns that are in the illative plural, for example in phrases such as keinotekoisiin tarkoituksiin (for artificial purposes) or keinotekoisiin ratkaisuihin (to artificial solutions).

Etymology and morphology: keinotekoinen combines keino (means, method) and teko (act, creation), conveying the sense of something produced by human means rather than occurring naturally. The form keinotekoisiin reflects the agreement rules of Finnish adjectives, which change to match the case and number of the noun they describe. In this case, the illative plural indicates movement toward or into the described artificial objects or concepts.

Usage and scope: The term is used across scientific, technical, ethical, and cultural contexts to distinguish artificial or synthetic items from natural ones. It can describe materials, data, flavors, organisms in fiction, or abstract concepts such as systems, processes, or ideas labeled as artificial. The word itself is neutral; evaluative judgments depend on context, not the form alone.

Related forms: Other inflected forms of keinotekoinen include keinotekoista (partitive singular), keinotekoisen (genitive singular), and keinotekoiset (nominative plural). Correct usage requires matching the adjective to the noun’s case and number.

See also: artificial, synthetic, teennäinen (feigned or insincere, as a contrast).