medfølgende

Medfølgende is a Scandinavian adjective used in Danish and Norwegian to describe items that accompany or are supplied together with another item. Etymology: formed from med meaning with and følgende meaning following, literally “the following/with.” The term signals that something is provided alongside the main item.

Usage and contexts: Medfølgende is common in administrative, legal, medical, and commercial language. It is typically placed before the noun it modifies, for example: medfølgende dokumentation (the accompanying documentation), medfølgende bilag (the accompanying attachments), or medfølgende personale (the accompanying personnel). It highlights materials that come with a submission, shipment, or product, rather than items that are merely physically attached.

Distinction from related terms: Vedlagt or vedlegg refers more directly to something that is physically attached or enclosed, whereas medfølgende emphasizes that the material accompanies the main item as part of a package or submission. In some contexts both can be used, but medfølgende carries the sense of inclusion as part of a set.

Grammatical notes: In Norwegian Bokmål and Danish, medfølgende behaves as a normal adjective with number agreement, e.g., medfølgende dokumenter (plural) and medfølgende dokument (singular). It can appear in attributive position or in a more general sense within a phrase describing accompanying materials or information.

See also: å medfølge (to accompany), følgelig (following). The cognate term exists in related Scandinavian languages with similar usage.