overgripande

övergripande, often written as overgripande in contexts without diacritics, is a Swedish adjective meaning overarching, comprehensive, or cross-cutting. It is used to describe a view, plan, or policy that encompasses multiple sub-areas and aims to align them toward common goals. In English, the closest equivalents are overarching, holistic, or strategic.

The term is common in governance, planning, business, and academia. In policymaking, an övergripande strategi sets priorities and coordinates sub-strategies across sectors. In urban or project planning, an övergripande plan defines the overall framework while allowing subplans for specific areas. In research, an övergripande mål or aim ties together sub-questions and objectives into a unified purpose.

The nuance of övergripande implies integration, coherence, and a longer-term perspective. It signals that details matter, but the emphasis is on how components fit together rather than on individual parts alone. It is typically used as an attributive adjective (ett övergripande mål, den övergripande strategin) or predicative construction. The term is often contrasted with more specific or delområdes-grundade concepts, underscoring its role in providing a unifying frame.

In translation, övergripande is commonly rendered as overarching or comprehensive in English-language texts. The word is frequent in formal and administrative registers in Swedish and is also used in Nordic regional planning and organizational contexts to describe broad, coordinating objectives.