kuvitteellisissa

Kuvitteellisissa is a Finnish adjective form meaning “in fictional” or “in imaginary” when used with a plural noun in the inessive case. It is the inessive plural form of kuvitteellinen, and appears in expressions such as kuvitteellisissa tarinoissa or kuvitteellisissa maailmoissa, where it describes settings, characters, or scenarios that belong to fiction rather than reality. The term is common in literary analysis, film studies, philosophy, and media discussions that distinguish fictional constructs from real ones.

Etymology and form: Kuvitteellinen means fictional or imaginary, derived from the verb kuvittaa (to picture, imagine) with the suffix -ellinen that forms adjectives signifying a characteristic. The inessive plural ending -issa is attached to the adjective when it modifies plural nouns in the inessive case, yielding kuvitteellisissa.

Grammatical notes: Like other -nen adjectives, kuvitteellinen declines regularly. Nominative plural is kuvitteelliset, inessive singular is kuvitteellisessa, and inessive plural is kuvitteellisissa. It is typically used to describe plural nouns in contexts such as literature, films, and hypothetical scenarios, where the speaker contrasts imagined content with the real world.

Usage tips: The form conveys a sense of fiction or hypothetical status and is not used for real, factual subjects. It may combine with various plural nouns to specify the fictional nature of settings, events, or characters, for example, kuvitteellisissa tarinoissa (in fictional stories) or kuvitteellisissa maailmoissa (in imaginary worlds).

See also: kuvitteellinen, Finnish adjectives, Kielitoimiston sanakirja.