kehtivas

Kehtivas is an Estonian adjective meaning "valid" or "in force," used to describe something that currently applies or is legally binding, such as a law, regulation, contract, or standard. The base form is kehtiv, derived from the verb kehtima, “to come into effect” or “to be applicable.” Kehtivas is an inflected form used with nouns to indicate that the described item is in force in the present context; the exact form changes with grammatical case and number.

In practice, kehtivas is common in legal and administrative texts. It is used to distinguish documents or rules that are currently binding from those that are repealed, superseded, or not yet in force. Along with kehtivus (validity) and kehtima (to come into effect), it forms part of a terminology set that describes a rule’s status.

Related concepts include jõustuma or jõustumine, meaning to take effect, and kehtivus, the state or quality of being in force. Together they help express the lifecycle of normative acts—from proposal and adoption to entry into force and, possibly, repeal.

See also: kehtivus, jõustumine, kehtima, seadus, regulatsioon.