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

The Finnish study is among the most exhaustive to date.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 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

Nebius declined to comment on how much it is investing in the Finnish data center, which has an estimated value of more than $10 billion, according to Reuters.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

"We want to do our part to ensure Finnish society is able to function every day, regardless of the circumstances," says Kesko executive Jyrki Tomminen.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

But then he pulled out a coin, a Finnish five-mark coin, popped it open with a pin, and dumped out a tiny piece of microfilm.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin