Väide

Väide is an Estonian noun that denotes a claim, assertion, or statement presented as true in a discussion, argument, or document. It is used across everyday language as well as in legal and academic contexts to refer to what someone contends or affirms. The word is derived from the verb väitma, meaning to claim or to assert, and its noun form expresses the content of that claim. In related Finnic languages, the cognate Finnish word is väite.

In usage, väide can describe a factual assertion, a proposition in an argument, or an allegation depending on context. In legal settings, a party may put forward väited or väide as part of a case; in scholarly writing, a väide is a proposition that the author aims to support with evidence and references. In mathematics or logic, väide can refer to a stated proposition or claim that is subject to proof, such as a theorem that begins with a väide before a demonstration.

Inflection follows standard Estonian noun patterns. Common forms include singular nominative väide, singular genitive väite, and singular partitive väidet, with plural forms such as nominative väited, genitive väidete, and partitive väiteid.

See also: väitlema, väite (Finnish väite), related terms for argument and claim in Estonian.