petollisen

Petollisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective petollinen, meaning treacherous or deceitful. It is used to describe people, actions, or situations that are designed to mislead, betray trust, or conceal harm. The base adjective petollinen describes a quality of deceit and unreliability, and it belongs to a common class of Finnish adjectives formed with the suffix -llinen, which indicates a characteristic.

The form petollisen appears in phrases where the adjective modifies a following noun, often in genitive constructions, such as petollisen suunnitelman paljastuminen (the uncovering of a deceitful plan) or in straightforward attributive use like petollinen teko (a deceitful act). The adverb form is petollisesti, meaning deceitfully. The related noun is petollisuus, which translates to deceitfulness or treachery.

Usage notes: Petollinen can describe individuals, organizations, strategies, or tactics that are considered untrustworthy or designed to mislead. It carries a strong negative connotation and is more evaluative than merely describing a mistake. In formal or descriptive writing, it is common to encounter phrases using petollisen to convey a precise sense of calculated deceit.

See also: petollisuus, petollisesti, petollinen.