äärimmäiseen

äärimmäiseen is the illative singular form of the Finnish adjective äärimmäinen, meaning extreme or utmost. It is used when the adjective modifies a noun that is in the illative case, conveying movement into or toward the extreme or expressing a high degree in a given context.

In usage, äärimmäiseen is often found in phrases describing state or situation in which limits or extremes are involved. For example: hän joutui äärimmäiseen köyhyyteen (he found himself in extreme poverty) and tilanne kärjistyi äärimmäiseen lopputulokseen (the situation escalated to an extreme outcome). The form is selected to agree with the noun in illative case, such as köyhyyteen, lopputulokseen, or tilanteeseen.

Grammatically, äärimmäinen is an adjective; its illative singular form is used when the governing noun is in illative case. The word can also appear in compound expressions and is common in formal or descriptive Finnish, including journalism and academic writing, where emphasis on limits or extremes is appropriate.

Etymologically, äärimmäinen derives from Finnish äärmä/äärä- roots related to boundary or limit, and the suffix -inen marks it as an adjective. The illative form äärimmäiseen preserves the core meaning while aligning with the case and grammatical role of the noun it modifies.

See also: äärimmäinen, Finnish illative case, Finnish adjective declension.