tussentoestand

Tussentoestand is a Dutch noun meaning an intermediate or transitional state that a system temporarily occupies between an initial state and a final state. The word is formed from tussen, meaning between, and toestand, meaning state or condition.

In science and engineering, tussentoestand denotes a transient or intermediate phase. In chemistry it can refer to reaction intermediates that exist briefly during a chemical process. In engineering and project management, it describes a temporary status during a process, such as a transition from one phase to another. In computing and data processing, it may denote a temporary representation or state that occurs during operations or during a handover between stages.

Examples of usage include describing a chemical reaction intermediate as a tussentoestand, or a software deployment that passes through a tussentoestand in a staging environment before going live. The term emphasizes that the state is not final and will change as the process progresses.

See also: metastable state, intermediate form, transitional phase.