võimuga

Võimuga is an Estonian grammatical form derived from the noun võim (power, authority) with the comitative/instrumental suffix -ga. It expresses accompaniment or instrumentality, roughly translating to “with power” or “with the use of power.” The form indicates that an action is performed using power as a means or that someone is associated with power.

In usage, võimuga is common in political, legal, and organizational contexts. It often appears to describe actions taken with authority or the means by which decisions are implemented, for example with phrases referring to institutions or authorities such as riigi võimuga (with state power) or organisatsiooni võimuga seotud tegevused. The instrumental sense contrasts with võimu, the genitive form meaning “of power” or “power’s,” which is used for possessive relations rather than the means of action.

Example: Riigi võimuga kaasneb vastutus. This sentence illustrates the instrumentality sense, signaling that state power brings responsibility.

Notes: While võimuga conveys means or accompaniment, Estonian also uses võimu in various constructions to denote possession or the use of power, depending on the emphasis and syntactic pattern of the sentence. Võimuga can sometimes be paraphrased by phrases involving võimu, but the two forms are not always interchangeable.