Grammar: <overleg> [noun] [het overleg, <no plural form>].

Translates to: "consultation", "meeting", "delibaration" or "consideration".

"Overleg" is one of those Dutch words without a plural form. It is used frequently in the office, and in politics, to indicate a gathering or meeting of people who are discussing or deliberating on certain matters. The related verb is "overleggen".

1. "Weet jij in welke ruimte ons werkoverleg is?"
("Do you know in which room our (work)meeting is?" See also "DWOTD 53. Ruimte".)

2. "Het overleg tussen de vakbonden en de overheid is vastgelopen."
("The negotiations (meeting) between the unions and the government are deadlocked.")

3. "Ik moet eerst overleggen met mijn vrouw voor ik deze auto koop."
("I first have to consult with my wife before I buy this car.")

Related Words:
1. "Overleg plegen": like "overleggen". Literally: to commit consultation.
2. "Vergadering": meeting (to discuss something).
3. "Bila(t)": [noun] abbreviation of "bilateraal"; a meeting between two persons.

Example: "Ik heb vandaag een bila(t) met mijn manager."
("I have a (bilateral) meeting with my manager today.")

4. "Onderhandeling": negotiation.

The Dutch are said to have a "overlegcultuur" (meeting culture), meaning that we love to debate on matters for a long time before taking action, which is always a compromise between the involved parties. Another related Dutch word with more or less the same meaning is the so-called "poldermodel": the Dutch tradition of consensus decision-making, see also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder_Model .