afhandigen

Afhandigen is a Dutch verb meaning to handle and complete a task or case, especially in administrative, public service, or professional settings. The term conveys bringing work to a close, processing it to a final state, and delivering a decision or outcome.

Typical usages include phrases like een aanvraag afhandigen, een dossier afhandigen, or een klacht afhandigen. In practice, the passive form is common: de aanvraag is afgehandeld, het dossier is afgehandeld. The related noun afhandeling refers to the process of handling or processing a task.

Nuances and synonyms: afhandigen focuses on the act of bringing a matter to closure and delivering a result, while afhandelen more generally means to deal with or process a task, which may include steps without final conclusion. In ordinary speech both terms are often used, but in formal administrative language afhandeling and concrete outcomes (afgehandeld, afgehandelde zaken) are more typical.

Etymology and related terms: af- as a prefix generally signals completion or termination, attached to handigen/handelen to form a sense of finishing a task. Related concepts include afhandeling (the handling process) and afwikkeling (settlement or closure of a matter).

See also: afhandeling, afwikkeling, handling of a case, administrative processing.

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