lopullinen

Lopullinen is a Finnish adjective meaning final, conclusive, definitive, or ultimate. It describes something regarded as brought to a close in a process or outcome, such as a decision, a result, a plan, or a diagnosis. The term is commonly used in legal, administrative, scientific, and everyday language to indicate that no further changes are expected or allowed.

Etymology and morphology: Lopullinen is formed from the noun loppu (end) with the adjectival suffix -ullinen, yielding a meaning related to the end or end-stage. In Finnish, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in number and case, so lopullinen takes forms such as lopullinen, lopullista, lopulliseen, lopullisessa, etc., depending on grammatical role.

Contexts and usage: The word is frequently found in phrases such as lopullinen päätös (final decision), lopullinen ratkaisu (definitive solution), lopullinen versio (definitive version), and lopullinen diagnoosi (final diagnosis). It is often contrasted with opposites like tilapäinen (temporary) or epävarma (uncertain), highlighting finality or completeness.

Notes: Lopullinen can be complemented by an adverbial form, lopullisesti, to mean definitively or conclusively. While the word is most common in formal or official language, it also appears in everyday speech to emphasize that something is considered settled or complete. See also related terms for stages or states that are not final, such as alustava (preliminary) or väliaikainen (temporary).