kuolettavat

Kuolettavat is a Finnish adjective meaning “lethal” or “deadly.” It is the plural nominative form of the adjective kuolettava, used to describe plural nouns that can cause death or produce fatal effects. The base kuolettava comes from the verb kuolettaa, meaning to kill or to cause death, with the -va suffix that forms adjectives. The related noun form describing lethality is kuolettavuus.

In usage, kuolettavat appears in technical and regulatory language to classify hazards. Common phrases include kuolettavat aineet (deadly substances), kuolettavat kaasut (lethal gases), and kuolettavat annokset (lethal doses). In the singular, the corresponding forms are kuolettava aine (a lethal substance) and kuolettava annos (a lethal dose). The adverbial form is kuolettavasti, meaning lethally.

Context and nuance: kuolettavat is used to convey a high level of danger or fatal potential, often in fields such as toxicology, pharmacology, occupational safety, and hazard communication. It denotes the capacity to cause death but does not by itself imply intent. The term is typically paired with technical terms or regulatory classifications to express the severity of a substance or exposure.

Related terms include kuolettava (singular form), kuolettavuus (lethality or the property of being lethal), and kuolettaminen (the act of killing). The concept of lethality is central to risk assessment, safety data sheets, and legal regulations governing hazardous materials.