välillinen

Välillinen is a Finnish adjective meaning indirect, mediated, or not directly connected. It derives from väli, meaning between or interval, plus the suffix -llinen, which conveys the idea of having the characteristic of something that is intermediate or mediated. The term is used in both everyday language and technical contexts to contrast with direct or immediate.

In general usage, välillinen describes effects, influences, or processes that do not occur or are not caused in a straightforward, single step. For example, a policy can have välillinen influence on behavior through intermediate mechanisms rather than by a direct mandate. In communication, välillinen can characterize indirect or nonverbal forms of messaging.

In economics and accounting, välillinen refers to costs and taxes that are not directly attributable to a specific product or transaction. Välilliset kustannukset (overhead costs) include items such as administrative expenses, utilities, and depreciation that must be allocated across several products or services. Välillinen vero denotes an indirect tax, such as value-added tax (VAT), collected through intermediaries rather than paid directly by the end consumer to the government.

In scientific and logical contexts, the term can describe processes or arguments that are mediated or require intermediate steps, as opposed to direct causation or direct proof. While closely related to English indirect, välillinen emphasizes the mediating connections or intermediary factors involved.

See also: suora (direct), epäsuora (indirect in specific contexts), kustannukset (costs), vero (tax).