valinnanvara

From valinta (“selection, choice”) +‎ vara (“room, allowance, margin”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑlinːɑnˌʋɑrɑ/,
• Rhymes: -ɑrɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): va‧linnan‧vara

valinnanvara

1. choice (chance for choosing among several alternatives)

   Kirjoissa ei ollut paljoa valinnanvaraa.

   There wasn't much choice with the books.

• This noun is used mostly in the phrase olla valinnanvaraa (“to have a choice”) (in the sense, "to be able to choose among several alternatives (as opposed to being forced to select something specific)"). The phrase can be also used, as illustrated above, in an existential clause (there is/are).

• “valinnanvara”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-04