översiktlig

Översiktlig is a Swedish adjective used to describe something that provides an overview or is designed to give a high-level, concise impression rather than a detailed or exhaustive one. It is commonly used for presentations, summaries, reports, plans, or visualizations that aim to present the main features or the overall picture at a glance.

Etymology: The word is formed from the noun översikt (overview) plus the suffix -lig, which creates adjectives indicating a characteristic. Thus översiktlig literally suggests “having an overview” and it conveys notions of clarity and brevity in conveying essential points.

Usage: In professional or academic Swedish, you may encounter phrases such as en översiktlig sammanställning, en översiktlig bild, or en översiktlig genomgång. The term signals a purpose of brevity and generality, highlighting the main ideas rather than detailed analysis. It is related to but distinct from överskådlig (clear at a glance) and övergripande (overall, comprehensive).

Notes: The term is relatively neutral and somewhat formal, and its use is common in written, analytical, or administrative contexts. In more colloquial speech, other expressions like “översikt” or “sammanfattande” might be preferred to convey a similar sense of a high-level overview without heavy emphasis on formality.