kriittisin

Kriittisin is the superlative form of the Finnish adjective kriittinen, meaning most critical. It can refer to evaluative critique, urgency, or significance, depending on context. The base kriittinen comes from kriittis-, related to critique or careful examination, and in Finnish the superlative is formed from this stem with the suffix -isin, yielding kriittisin. The comparative form is kriittisempi.

In use, kriittisin is employed when comparing more than two items or when indicating an utmost degree of criticism, urgency, or importance. It can describe a stringent critique as being the most severe, or a situation as the most dangerous or essential among alternatives. Examples include phrases like tilanteen kriittisin kohta (the most critical point of the situation) or kriittisin palaute (the most critical feedback). In medical contexts, it may appear in reference to the most serious condition, though more common expressions such as kriittinen tila are also used.

Etymologically, the word is built from kriittinen with the adjectival superlative suffix -isin. Finnish adjectives do not change for gender, and they agree with the noun they modify in number and case rather than gender.

Related terms include kriittinen (critical), kriittisempi (more critical), kriittinen ajattelu (critical thinking), and kriittinen palaute (critical feedback). The term kriittisin is neutral and widely used across academic, professional, and everyday Finnish to express a maximum degree of evaluation, critique, or urgency.