viihteellisen

Viihteellinen is a Finnish adjective meaning “pertaining to entertainment” or “entertainment-oriented.” It is used to describe media, culture, or products that emphasize amusement, broad appeal, and accessibility rather than education or high art. The word derives from viihde, meaning entertainment, with the adjectival suffix -ellinen, which yields "pertaining to" or "characteristic of."

In practice, viihteellinen is commonly used in media and cultural analysis to classify content such as television programs, films, literature, and digital media that are produced primarily for entertainment. For example, a viihteellinen ohjelma is an entertainment program, and viihteellinen kirjallisuus refers to popular or light reading intended for amusement. The term is distinct from viihdyttävä, which describes something that is entertaining or enjoyable in experience; viihteellinen emphasizes the nature or purpose of the content itself.

Although widely understood, viihteellinen can carry a sense of lightness or lower prestige compared to terms like taiteellinen or kriittinen when used in academic discourse. It is often paired with related concepts such as viihde (entertainment), viihdemedia (entertainment media), and viihdettä käsittelevä kulttuuri (entertainment-focused culture).