spesifinen

Spesifinen is a Finnish adjective meaning specific or particular to a given subject, object, or purpose. It describes things that are precisely defined or tailored to a certain context, as opposed to general attributes. Common uses include specifying a specific task, requirement, or characteristic, for example: spatially “spesifinen tarkoitus” (a specific purpose), “spesifinen immunologinen vaste” (a specific immune response), and “spesifiset ohjeet” (specific instructions). The related noun is spesifisyys, meaning specificity or exactness.

Etymology and form: The word is borrowed from Latin specificus and has entered Finnish through other European languages such as Swedish or English. Finnish forms adjectives with the suffix -inen, so spesifinen functions as a typical Finnish adjective. This origin reflects a sense of belonging to a particular kind or type, which in contemporary usage translates to a narrowly defined or targeted nature.

Usage and nuance: In science and medicine, spesifinen is used to distinguish targeted phenomena from general or non-specific ones. In diagnostics, spesifisyys (specificity) describes a test’s ability to correctly identify those without a condition, thereby reducing false positives. The term also appears in linguistics, engineering, and policy discussions to denote tailored requirements, configurations, or strategies, emphasizing precision and selectivity rather than breadth.