Väärimisel

Väärimisel is Estonian a term used to describe deception or fraud, particularly the act of obtaining property or financial advantage through deceit, misrepresentation, or abuse of trust. It is formed from the verb väärima, meaning to mislead, treat wrongly, or misuse. The noun väärimine refers to the wrongdoing itself, while väärimisel is the form commonly found in legal and formal contexts to indicate “in the act of deceit” or “through deception.”

In everyday language, väärimine can refer to any act of deception or misrepresentation. In legal usage, the term covers acts designed to obtain something of value by misleading another party, including false statements, falsification of documents, or improper use of another’s property. The exact definitions and penalties depend on the applicable statute, and väärimisel is often encountered in charge formulations such as “süüdistatud väärimisel.”

Väärimisel is related to, but distinct from, other crimes such as pettus (fraud) and vargus (theft). Pettus emphasizes deceit as the method, while vargus concerns taking property unlawfully. Väärimisel, as a broader concept, can encompass various deceitful or deceptive means that result in a gain for the offender at someone else’s expense.

Etymology and usage notes: the term derives from väärima, and its legal sense is most common in statutes, court rulings, and reporting on financial or property crimes. See also pettus, vargus.