tilastollisesti

Tilastollisesti is a Finnish adverb meaning “statistically” or “in a statistical sense.” It is used to indicate that a statement, result, or assessment is based on statistical analysis of data rather than on intuition, theoretical speculation, or qualitative judgment.

Etymology and form: Tilastollisesti derives from tilastollinen, the adjective meaning statistical. The noun tilasto refers to a statistic or dataset, and tilastotiede means statistics as a field. The adverbial suffix -isesti turns tilastollinen into tilastollisesti, aligning with other Finnish adverbs formed in this way.

Usage and context: The word commonly appears in academic writing, research reports, and data-driven journalism to emphasize a basis in data. It often accompanies phrases related to statistical tests, models, and measures, and is frequently paired with terms like tilastollisesti merkitsevä (statistically significant) or tilastollisesti ei-merkitsevä (not statistically significant). Examples include: “Tilastollisesti merkitsevä ero havaittiin ryhmien välillä.” “Tilastollisesti katsottuna tulokset viittaavat parempaan suorituskykyyn.”

Nuance and interpretation: While tilastollisesti indicates a reliance on statistics, it does not by itself convey practical significance or real-world importance. Statistical significance depends on sample size, variability, and chosen thresholds, and thus tilastollisesti derived conclusions should be interpreted in light of effect sizes, confidence intervals, and study design.

Related concepts: The term is frequently contrasted with non-statistical judgments in scientific discourse, and it is part of a broader vocabulary describing quantitative analysis, statistical inference, and evidence-based conclusions.