geltenden

Geltenden is an inflected form of the German adjective geltend, meaning current, valid or applicable. It is used to describe laws, rules, norms or conditions that are in force at a given time. The form geltenden occurs when the adjective is declined to agree with a plural noun or to appear in the dative plural, for example in die geltenden Regeln (the applicable rules) or den geltenden Regeln (to the applicable rules). In singular phrases different endings appear, such as das geltende Recht (the applicable, or in force, law) and die geltende Regel (the applicable rule).

Etymology and usage: geltend derives from gelten, which means to be valid or to apply. As an adjective or participle, geltend is commonly used in formal or legal language to specify that something is currently valid or in effect. The expression geltendes Recht, meaning the law currently in force, is a standard collocation in legal contexts. The term can also appear in everyday language, for example die geltenden Vorschriften or unter den geltenden Bedingungen.

Context and nuance: geltende forms emphasize current applicability rather than historical status. They contrast with phrases like früheres Recht or nicht geltendes Recht, which refer to law or rules that are no longer in force. The distinction is important in legal, regulatory, and administrative writing, where precise reference to the status of rules matters.

See also: Geltung; geltendes Recht; Rechtslage; Geltungsbereich. In English: applicable, in force, or in effect.