laajoitus

Laajoitus is a Finnish noun that denotes the act or process of expanding or broadening the scope, extent, or reach of something. The word is formed from laaja ‘wide’ and the suffix -joitus, which marks a process or action.

In general usage, laajoitus refers to deliberate expansion beyond a prior boundary. It can describe geographic expansion, such as the extension of city services or administrative borders, as well as the widening of organizational activities, market presence, or product ranges. In linguistics and other fields, the term is sometimes used to discuss broadening of concepts or categories, though more common terms may be laajentuminen or laajennus in those domains.

Common contexts include urban planning (kaupungin laajoitus), business strategy (markkinoiden tai tuotetarjonnan laajoitus), and policy development where an institution seeks to increase its scope of operations. In linguistic discussions, laajoitus may be used to refer to semantic broadening, the process by which a word’s meaning expands.

Related terms in Finnish include laajuus (extent or scope), laajennus (extension), and laajentuminen (expansion). While laajoitus conveys the idea of expanding boundaries, the exact nuance can vary by field, with more specific terms often preferred in technical contexts.