leimautua

Leimautua is a Finnish verb meaning to become stigmatized or branded in a negative sense. It describes a social process in which a person or group is perceived or treated as belonging to a particular category because of a real or alleged attribute, action, or association, regardless of current behavior.

The word derives from leima, meaning stamp, mark, or label, and the suffix -autua, which forms verbs indicating a process or state. The construction signals a transition into a labeled status rather than a temporary action. In usage, leimaus emphasizes the outcome (being labeled), while the actor or action of labeling may be external or public.

Leimautua is commonly used in discussions about media, public life, and social attitudes. Typical constructions include leimautua johonkin, or leimautua rikolliseksi, leimautua epäluotettavaksi, meaning to be branded as something such as a criminal or unreliable person. The phrase often implies a lasting impact on reputation and can carry a critique of the labeling itself, rather than a declaration about the person’s current conduct.

Nuanced variants and related terms include leima, leimaantuminen (the process of becoming branded), leimata (to label or brand), and leimaantua as a synonym with slightly different nuance. In practice, leimautuminen emphasizes the social process of labeling; leimata emphasizes the act of labeling itself, often by others such as the media, institutions, or public opinion.

See also: leima, leimata, leimaantuminen, stigma, stigmatization.