grondige

Grondige is a Dutch adjective meaning thorough, exhaustive, or in-depth. It is used to describe actions, analyses, inspections, or preparations that are carried out with careful attention to detail and a solid basis. The form grondige is used before a noun to indicate agreement in gender and definiteness, as in een grondige inspectie (a thorough inspection) or de grondige analyse (the thorough analysis). The related form grondig is often used as the base adjective or as an adverb in phrases such as het onderzoek was grondig (the investigation was thorough).

Etymology and usage notes: grondige derives from grond, meaning ground or foundation. The word conveys not only speed or superficiality being avoided, but a deep, methodical approach. It is common across domains such as journalism, science, law, education, and everyday language when describing meticulous work. The adverbial sense is expressed with grondig, as in de proef werd grondig herhaald (the test was repeated thoroughly). The comparative and superlative forms are grondiger and grondigst, though in practice many speakers prefer the periphrastic meest grondig (most thorough) in formal contexts.

Related terms include grondigheid (the quality of being thorough), and synonyms such as uitvoerig (elaborate, extensive), diepgaand (in-depth), and nauwgezet (precise, meticulous). The concept is parallel to English thoroughness or meticulousness and is often highlighted to emphasize quality, reliability, or rigor in work, research, or evaluation.

See also: thoroughness in Dutch language contexts, similar terms in other languages for expressing depth and rigor.