Hallitseva

Hallitseva is a Finnish adjective meaning “ruling” or “dominant.” It describes a person, group, institution, or state that exercises power or influence, and is commonly used in political, social, or historical contexts to denote the authority currently in control. The term is derived from the verb hallita, “to rule,” with the participle suffix -va, and is widely used in everyday language as well as in academic discourse.

In political science and journalism, hallitseva is frequently combined with nouns to indicate the party, system, or class that holds power, for example hallitseva puolue (ruling party), hallitseva valta (ruling power), hallitseva luokka (ruling class). It can also describe ongoing conditions, such as hallitseva järjestelmä or hallitseva ideologia, implying sustained dominance rather than a one-time event.

Grammatically, hallitseva typically functions as an attributive adjective before a noun or as a predicate adjective. Its related forms convey number and case in Finnish, and the term can be used substantively to refer to the ruling faction, though such use is less common without a governing noun.

See also: hallinto, valta, politiikka, hegemonia.