kehtinud

Kehtinud is an Estonian adjective formed as the past participle of the verb kehtima, meaning to be valid, to be in force, or to apply. It describes a state in which rules, laws, agreements, or other norms were in effect during a certain period. In contemporary usage, the related adjective kehtiv is more common for describing something that is currently valid, while kehtinud emphasizes a past or historical state of validity.

In legal and administrative contexts kehtinud is often used to refer to provisions or arrangements that existed at a particular time but may have since changed. For example, kehtinud seadus can denote a law that was in force at a given moment, and kehtinud leping refers to a contract that was effective in the past. The distinction between kehtinud and kehtiv helps convey when the validity applied, which is important in historical descriptions, case summaries, or comparative analyses.

Usage notes: kehtinud tends to appear in more formal or historical writing, whereas kehtiv is preferred for current status. The word can pair with various nouns such as eeskiri (rule), seadus (law), leping (contract), and maksusoodustus (tax provision). Etymologically, it shares its root with kehtima, reflecting the concept of what has been accepted or enforced.

See also: kehtiv, kehtima, õigus. This article provides a concise overview of the term and its primary uses in Estonian-language texts.