völdin

Völdin is the definite plural form of the Icelandic noun völd, meaning powers or authorities. It is commonly used to refer to the institutions and people that hold political power within a state—the government, the ruling elite, and the administrative apparatus. The indefinite plural is völd, while the singular forms are vald (a power) and valdið (the power).

In political and public discourse, völdin denotes the group of those currently in power, and it can carry evaluative nuance depending on context, such as questions of legitimacy, accountability, or abuse. It is often contrasted with the people or with opposition forces. Common phrases include taka völdin (to seize power) and misnota völdin (to abuse power).

Völdin also appears in journalism and literature to reference power structures more broadly, not only the government but also other authorities or institutions, depending on context. The term is widely understood in Icelandic to capture both the abstract concept of power and the concrete actors who wield it. Related terms include vald (power), valdið (the power/the government), stjórnin (the administration/government), and ríkið (the state).