tilanteellinen

Tilanteellinen is Finnish an adjective meaning “situational” or “dependent on the circumstances.” It is formed from the noun tilanne (situation) and the suffix -ellinen, which creates adjectives meaning “pertaining to” or “characterized by.”

In everyday language the term describes something that is not universal or constant but varies with context. It is commonly used in professional and academic contexts to refer to approaches, assessments, or decisions that depend on the specific situation. For example, tilanteellinen johtaminen refers to management that adapts to changing circumstances; tilannekohtainen riskinarviointi or tilanteellinen riskinarviointi describes risk assessment that takes the particular setting into account. Similarly, tilanteellinen ohjeistus means instructions that are tailored to a given situation.

The word has related forms, such as tilanteellisuus, a noun describing the “situationalness” or degree to which something is context-dependent, and tilannekohtainen or kontekstuaalinen as synonyms in certain contexts. An adverbial form is tilanteellisesti, used to describe actions done in a situational or context-specific manner.

In Finnish linguistic and discourse analysis the concept appears when distinguishing universal principles from those that are contingent on the situation. While akin to the English “situational,” tilanteellinen carries a strong emphasis on context-specific applicability rather than fixed rules.