termijn

Termijn is a Dutch noun used to designate a defined period of time, a time limit, or the duration within which something must be done. It marks a boundary between what is expected to occur within a given span and what lies beyond. In practical terms, a termijn is the window during which obligations, permissions, or processes must be completed, and it often implies a deadline or a fixed duration in an agreement.

In contracts and finance, the term appears in expressions such as betalingstermijn (payment term), leveringstermijn (delivery period), and uitvoeringstermijn (execution period). It can also denote deadlines, such as een sollicitatietermijn (application deadline). The plural termijnen refers to multiple periods or deadlines. Other common compounds include korte termijn (short term) and lange termijn (long term).

In governance and public administration, termijn is used to describe the duration of an office or mandate, for example een termijn van vier jaar. It also designates the period of validity of documents or offers, such as de termijn voor het indienen van een voorstel. The term is versatile and appears in everyday language as well as legal and bureaucratic contexts.

Termijn is closely related to the English word term and to Dutch synonyms such as periode and deadline. It generally emphasizes a defined boundary tied to an obligation or goal, rather than merely a random span of time. See also: deadline, period, term of office, payment term.