Afschuif

Afschuif is a Dutch noun derived from the verb afschuiven, meaning to push away, slide away, or to defer. The term is used in several contexts to describe the act or result of moving something away from a position, or of shifting responsibility, blame, or plans to another time, person, or place.

In everyday language, afschuif refers to the act of shifting or deferring something. Common phrases include the afschuiven van verantwoordelijkheid (shifting responsibility) and het afschuiven van deadlines (postponing deadlines). The concept is often used in discussions about accountability, management, and decision-making, where someone is accused of avoiding a task or consequence by deflecting it onto others or onto a future moment.

In mechanical and technical contexts, afschuif can refer more literally to a sliding or disengaging action. It can denote a component or mechanism that slides to disengage a part of a machine or system, or the process of moving a piece out of engagement. In manuals or engineering language, terms such as afschuifmechanisme or afschuifplaat may appear as descriptions of sliding elements or disengagement features, though the exact terminology can vary by industry and region.

The term is general and its exact meaning depends on context. It appears across everyday speech, organizational discourse, and technical writing, where it commonly conveys the idea of movement away from a current state, whether physical, temporal, or causal. Related concepts include uitstel (postponement), verplaatsing (relocation or displacement), and verschuiving (shift).