peruste

Peruste is a Finnish noun meaning basis, foundation, grounds, or justification. It refers to the reason or evidence on which a claim, decision, rule, or policy rests. In everyday language it is common to ask for the peruste of something, as in “mikä on tämän päätöksen peruste?” meaning what is the basis for this decision.

In official and administrative usage, perusteelle or perusteet denote the grounds or criteria behind rules and actions. A decision or rule is considered valid when it has a solid peruste. The plural form perusteet is frequently used when listing the foundations of a policy, guideline, or legal provision.

In Finnish education policy, the term has a notable technical role. The phrase opetussuunnitelman perusteet refers to the national core curriculum for basic education, published by the Finnish National Agency for Education. These perusteet outline the aims, content areas, and assessment principles, and they provide the basis for local curricula and school planning. They are periodically updated to align with evolving educational objectives and societal needs.

Etymologically, peruste derives from perusta, meaning base or fundament, and shares roots with related terms in other Finnic and Germanic languages. The word is neutral and broadly applicable across legal, educational, and everyday contexts, always signaling the justification or foundational grounds for a given position or action.