overzichts

Overzicht is a Dutch noun that denotes a concise view of the main elements of a subject, a general survey, or a high-level view of a situation. It is used to describe both a mental or visual representation of the whole and a written summary that highlights key points. The standard plural form is overzichten. The sequence overzichts does not constitute a standard standalone form in contemporary Dutch and is generally considered nonstandard or only present in certain compound formations, so it should be avoided in formal writing.

In practice, overzicht is used across many domains. In everyday language, people talk about “een overzicht van de situatie” to refer to a brief description of the current state. In business and policy contexts, an executive overview or project overview provides essential information without the full detail. In data visualization and cartography, terms like overzichtskaart (overview map) or overzichtslijst (overview list) describe high-level representations that help readers grasp structure before diving into specifics. In education, course outlines and program summaries often serve as overviews to show objectives and scope.

Related concepts include samenvatting, which more directly denotes a summary of content, and overzichtelijkheid, the quality of being clear and easy to understand. While overzicht emphasizes breadth and structure, a samenvatting emphasizes condensed content. In Dutch, the distinction between these terms helps writers tailor information to provide either a broad view or a focused recap. See also inhoudsopgave for a table of contents that introduces the structure of a document.