kriittistä

Kriittistä is the partitive singular form of the Finnish adjective kriittinen, meaning critical in the sense of evaluating, judging, or critiquing. In Finnish, partitive forms are used with certain nouns and in expressions that convey an ongoing process or an amount of the quality, so kriittistä typically appears with a following noun in partitive (for example, kriittistä palautetta, kriittistä ajattelua, kriittistä keskustelua).

Common uses and meanings

Kriittistä can describe attitudes or processes that involve analysis or skepticism, rather than uncritical acceptance. It is often used to talk about evaluating information, claims, or performances—such as providing kriittistä palautetta (critical/constructive feedback) or engaging in kriittistä ajattelua (critical thinking). In journalistic, educational, or scientific contexts, kriittistä signals a focus on examination, evidence, and reasoning.

Related forms and terminology

The adjective kriittinen has related nouns such as kriittisyys (the state or quality of being critical) and kriitiikki (criticism). Kriittistä functions as a grammatically inflected form rather than a stand-alone noun, contrasting with forms like kriittiset or kriittisiä used in other cases or numbers. The broader concept encompasses both skeptical critique and constructive evaluation, depending on context and tone.

Context and usage

Kriittistä is common in discussions of education, media literacy, research, and public debate, where emphasis is placed on careful analysis and evidence-based judgment. It can carry positive or negative connotations depending on how it is used—either advocating for rigorous scrutiny or implying unnecessary fault-finding.