Amt

Amt is a German neuter noun meaning office, department, or official function. It can refer to a government or public administration unit, the office itself, or the duty associated with a position. In everyday language one can say that someone “hat ein Amt” or that a person “übt das Amt aus” (holds an office or exercises an office). Compounds with Amt designate specific offices, such as Standesamt (civil registry office), Finanzamt (tax office), or Auswärtiges Amt (the German Federal Foreign Office). The term also appears in expressions like “das Amt innehaben” (to hold an office) or “Amt und Würde” (office and dignity).

Grammar and usage: Amt is das Amt in the nominative, with plural Ämter. The genitive is des Amtes and the dative dem Amt. It is used across German-speaking countries, including Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland, to label civil, administrative, and ceremonial functions.

Etymology and history: Amt originates from Old High German ampt or amunt, linked to service, duty, or commission. From the Middle Ages onward, it came to denote public authority and the jurisdiction or office associated with an official. Over time, the term remained central to bureaucratic and civil service vocabulary.

See also: Beamtentum (civil service), Standesamt, Finanzamt, Ordnungsamt, Auswärtiges Amt.