stilleggen

Stilleggen is a Dutch verb meaning to halt or suspend an activity, operation, or process. It can refer to temporarily or permanently stopping production, services, or the use of equipment, often due to safety concerns, regulatory requirements, maintenance, financial considerations, or crisis situations. The term is composed of stil (still, quiet) and leggen (to lay), conveying the sense of stopping something from operating.

Common contexts for stilleggen include industrial and business settings, where production lines, construction work, or service delivery are halted. It can be ordered by authorities or initiated by a company to address safety issues, comply with regulations, or manage downtime. In the transport sector, services or lines may be stilgelegd during disruptions, accidents, or other incidents. In healthcare, certain procedures or hospital activities can be stilgelegd for safety or capacity reasons. The noun form stillegging is used to refer to the act of stopping, for example: de stillegging van de productie.

Temporary versus permanent: stilleggen can be temporary, lasting hours or days, or long-term/indefinite until conditions change. It is distinct from terms like stopzetten or sluiten; stilleggen emphasizes the suspension of ongoing activity rather than a formal closure of an institution, contract, or facility.

Antonyms include hervatten (resume) and voortzetten (continue). See also stopzetten, afsluiten, sluiten. This term is widely used in Dutch-speaking contexts, including business reports, news coverage, and regulatory communications, to describe the act of putting a process or operation on hold.