Võimav

Võimav is an Estonian adjective meaning capable, powerful, or having power. The word is formed from the noun võim, meaning power, with the adjectival suffix -av, creating a participial adjective that conveys inherent capacity or potential.

In contemporary standard Estonian, võimav is relatively rare and is predominantly found in linguistic descriptions, historical texts, or stylistic/poetic contexts. For everyday use, speakers typically prefer võimeline (capable) or võimas (powerful) to express similar meanings. In compound expressions, võimav can describe an entity as possessing power or capability, for example in opaque or technical registers.

Grammatical notes: As a participial adjective, võimav behaves like other Estonian adjectives and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case. Its usage tends to be broader in descriptive prose or analytical writing, whereas common language often opts for more frequent synonyms such as võimekas, võimeline, or võimas, depending on nuance.

Related terms include võim (power), võime (ability), võimekas (capable/efficient), võimeline (capable), and võimsus (power). Võimav can also appear in literary or etymological discussions to illustrate the formation of adjectives from nouns using the suffix -av.

See also: Võim, Võime, Võimekas, Võimas, Võimatus, Võimalik.

Note: The word’s prominence and exact usage can vary by corpus and register. In many contexts, more common adjectives will convey the intended sense with greater naturalness.