teovõimetud

Teovõimetud is the Estonian adjective meaning unable to act or perform actions, i.e., lacking the capacity to act in a given situation. The form is built from tegu (act) and võime (ability) with the suffix -tu, and the plural teovõimetud refers to persons or things that are unable to act.

In everyday language teovõimetus can describe physical or cognitive inability to perform actions, such as after illness, injury, or in advanced age. In legal and medical contexts the concept of teovõime (capacity to act) is central: full teovõime allows a person to perform legal acts; teovõime piiramine or teovõimetus describes restricted capacity, which may require guardianship or representation for legal actions. The term teovõimetu is therefore used both for individuals and, less commonly, for objects or systems that cannot act autonomously.

In disability discourse, teovõimetud can appear, but it may be seen as clinical or stigmatizing. Contemporary language often favors person-first phrasing such as inimene with a disability or expressions that emphasize the person rather than labeling them as teovõimetud, for example describing a limited teovõime rather than the person’s identity.

See also: teovõime, teovõimetus, füüsiline teovõime, juriidiline esindus, puue.