overveiende

Overveiende is not a standard spelling in contemporary Dutch; the usual adjective is overwegende. In usage, overwegende describes something that carries greater weight, influence, or importance in a given context. It characterizes proportions, opinions, or trends that are dominant or substantial, though not necessarily absolute. The form is most common in formal or written language when describing a majority, a portion, or an influence.

The sense of overwegende stems from the idea of weighing factors and giving more weight to one side. It is closely related to phrases such as overwegende meerderheid, overwegende deel, or overwegende invloed. In practice, you might see sentences like: De overwegende meerderheid stemde voor het voorstel, of: Er is een overwegende invloed van technologisch aandeel op de wereldeconomie. The adverbial counterpart overwegend means predominantly or largely, as in: De bevolking is overwegend voor de maatregel.

Compared with related terms, overwegende is weaker than overweldigend (overwhelming) but stronger than simply grotendeels (largely) or vaak (often). The choice between these expressions depends on the desired nuance of dominance or weight: overwegend signals a clear, although not total, predominance; overweldigend signals near-total or unquestionable dominance.

If you encounter overveiende in texts, it is likely a misspelling or dialectal variant of overwegende. In standard Dutch, opt for overwegende in attributive position (de overwegende meerderheid) or overwegend as an adverb (het land is overwegend liberaal in beleid). See also related concepts such as meerderheid, deel, invloed, and predominant synonyms.