keskeinen

Keskeinen is a Finnish adjective that denotes central, pivotal, or essential quality within a context. It describes something that forms the core of a system, argument, or situation, and it can convey both spatial centrality and figurative importance. In usage, keskeinen often emphasizes centrality within a framework rather than mere importance; for example, keskeinen ongelma refers to the main, central problem, while tärkeä ongelma may indicate importance without implying centrality.

Common collocations include keskeinen ongelma (central problem), keskeinen rooli (central/leading role), keskeinen osa (essential part), and keskeinen ajatus (central idea). The word is inflected for case and number: keskeinen (nominative singular), keskeisen (genitive singular), keskeistä (partitive singular), keskeiset (nominative plural). The adverb keskeisesti means centrally or essentially.

Etymologically, keskeinen is formed from the stem kesk- meaning center plus the suffix -einen, which builds adjectives. Related noun forms include keskeisyys (centrality) and keskeistäminen (the act of centralizing), though the latter is rare. Related concepts in Finnish include ydin (core) and olennainen (essential).

Examples: Keskeinen kysymys on, miten resurssit jaetaan. Hänen keskeinen roolinsa projektissa on suunnitella aikataulut. Keskeisesti tarkasteltuna ongelma vaatii sekä teoreettista että käytännön lähestymistapaa.