mürade

Määrade is the genitive plural form of Estonian noun määr, a word with several closely related meanings. The base term refers to limits, boundaries, rules, provisions, or regulations established by authorities. In legal and administrative writing, määrad denotes binding stipulations that define rights, duties, conditions, or procedures. The form määrade is commonly used to indicate possession or relation in phrases such as määrade kehtestamise (the establishment of provisions) or määrade sisu (the content of provisions).

In practice, määrad appear frequently in laws, policy documents, contracts, and official orders. They help specify how laws are applied, who is eligible for benefits, what obligations must be met, or which conditions constrain actions. The word also functions in more general contexts to refer to sets of rules or limits governing a particular domain, such as taxation, licensing, or administrative procedures. The related verb määrama means to determine, set, or assign, from which the noun form’s meanings derive.

Etymologically, määr originates from the idea of setting or fixing something, and määrade retains that sense when used to discuss groups of provisions or rules. While the primary association of määrad is legal and regulatory, the broader concept of limits or boundaries connects to its mathematical or quantitative uses in related contexts, though those senses are typically expressed with different terms in Estonian.

See also: määr, määrus, seadus, õigus.