alleenstandige

Alleenstandige is a Dutch term that refers to a person who is single, meaning not married or in a registered partnership, and who may or may not live alone. In contemporary Dutch, the standard spelling for the noun and the attributive adjective is typically gewone vorm “alleenstaande,” used for both genders in phrases like “een alleenstaande moeder” or “een alleenstaande vriend.” The form “alleenstandige” can appear in older texts or as a nonstandard variant and is generally not preferred in modern correct Dutch.

As a demographic and social category, een alleenstaande describes both men and women who are not in a romantic relationship or formal partnership. The term is used in statistics, policy discussions, and everyday language to distinguish single-person households or individuals from those who are married, in a registered partnership, or cohabiting. This category often appears in discussions about housing, taxation, benefits, and social services. Related terms include “alleenstaande ouder” (single parent) and more general marital-status classifications such as “ongehuwd” (unmarried), “gehuwd” (married), and “gescheiden” (divorced).

Cultural usage is broadly neutral, though there are informal terms such as vrijgezel or single that can be more common in casual speech. The concept of an alleenstaande is primarily a demographic and social descriptor, not a value judgment, and it intersects with policy areas that address housing, income, and welfare for individuals who live without a partner.

See also: single parent, vrijgezel, ongehuwd, gehuwd, gescheiden.