vastakohtaista

Vastakohtaista is a Finnish word-form used to describe something that is opposite or contrasting. It is most often the partitive singular form of the adjective vastakohtainen, which means “opposing,” “contrasting,” or “antithetical.” The base noun vastakohta means “antonym” or “opposite,” but vastakohtaista typically appears in phrases where the noun it modifies is in partitive case or when referring to an indefinite quantity.

In practical use, vastakohtaista functions as an adjective in the partitive singular. It can modify a noun in contexts such as vastakohtaista tietoa (information that is opposite or contradicting) or vastakohtaista väitettä (an opposing claim). The form signals that the described entity is one example of opposition or contrast relative to another reference point.

Linguistically, vastakohtaista belongs to the broader concept of antonyms in Finnish, where vastakohta means antonym. Finnish antonyms can be complementary, gradable, or relational, and vastakohtaista is a common way to express opposition in noun phrases without specifying a definite holder or quantity.

Examples of related terms include vastakohta (antonym), vastakohtaiset (nominative plural) and vastakohtaisia (partitive plural), which show how the base concept is inflected across cases and numbers. The word is primarily used in descriptive or analytical contexts, such as linguistic discussions, dictionaries, or academic writing, to indicate contrasting or opposing characteristics.

See also: vastakohta, vastakohtaiset, antonyms in Finnish.