ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finn

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈfɪn// finn

n. a person from Finland. You use this word to talk about someone's nationality or where they were born.

n. a native or inhabitant of Finland, or a person of Finnish descent. When capitalised, it refers specifically to the ethnic or national identity.


SIMPLE

My friend is a Finn who lives in Helsinki.

CONTEXTUAL

The marathon runner was a proud Finn who had trained in the snowy forests of Lapland.

COMPLEX

While many people assume all Nordic citizens share similar customs, a Finn will often point out the unique linguistic and cultural heritage that distinguishes them from their Scandinavian neighbours.

Etymology 1

From Old English Finnas (“the Sami”) (plural), from Old Norse finnr (“a hunter-gatherer”), from Proto-Germanic *finnaz (which see for more). Possibly originally meaning a ‘finder’ of food, referring to nomadic hunter-gatherers, particularly the Sami.

Etymology 2

An Old and Middle Irish form of Fionn.

Usage

Always capitalised as it refers to a specific nationality.

© 2026 English Reference