Finnish

American  

[fin-ish] / ˈfɪn ɪʃ /

noun

1. the principal language of Finland, a Uralic language related closely to Estonian and remotely to Hungarian.

2. Finnic.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Finland or its inhabitants.

2. Finnic.

Finnish British  

/ ˈfɪnɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Finland, the Finns, or their language

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noun

1. the official language of Finland, also spoken in Estonia and NW Russia, belonging to the Finno-Ugric family

Other Word Forms

• anti-Finnish adjective
• pro-Finnish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Finnish

First recorded in 1780–90; Finn + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Shares of Finnish company Neste Oyj are up 40% in Helsinki trading, while Calumet has climbed 75%.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

In a post on X, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he had a “constructive discussion” with Trump on Wednesday about NATO.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

A Finnish startup claims to have perfected a revolutionary new battery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Since the end of 2024, Finnish group Summa Defence has set up several joint ventures with Ukrainian firms to produce drones in Finland.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

During one ten-month period she gave 123 concerts in fifteen different countries, performing a repertoire that included over two hundred songs and arias in German, Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, and other languages.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman