Vastgelegde

Vastgelegde is a Dutch adjective derived from the verb vastleggen, meaning to fix, establish, or record something in a durable or formal way. The term is used to indicate that a rule, agreement, procedure, or set of data has been explicitly documented, approved, or committed to a fixed reference.

In usage, vastgelegde items are typically described as formalized or officially recorded. Common contexts include contracts, regulations, planning documents, and data sets. For example, one speaks of a “vastgelegde afspraak” (a fixed, documented agreement), “de vastgelegde regels” (the established rules), or “het vastgelegde proces” (the formally established process). The adjective emphasizes both formality and permanence, contrasting with more informal or provisional arrangements.

Grammatically, vastgelegde is the attributive form of the past participle vastgelegd, used to modify a noun. It agrees in number and gender with the noun: “een vastgelegde afspraak,” “de vastgelegde afspraken,” or “het vastgelegde proces.” The related verb form vastgelegd is used in predicates and in participial phrases, as in “De afspraak is vastgelegd.” The term is common in legal, administrative, and organizational Dutch, as well as in data governance and project documentation.

Etymology-wise, vastleggen combines vast (fixed) and leggen (to lay or place), and the compound originally conveyed the act of fixing something physically, later extended to formalizing and recording information.