Bediensteter

Bediensteter is a Dutch noun meaning an employee or staff member. It is used to describe a person who works for an organization to perform tasks, often in administrative, clerical, or service-oriented roles. The term can apply to workers in both the private sector and the public sector, though in formal government language the term civil servant is more commonly rendered as ambtenaar or overheidsbediende.

Distinctions: The word bediensteter is a general term for someone employed to perform tasks within an organization. Ambtenaar refers specifically to civil servants who work for the government, while werknemer or medewerker are neutral terms for an employee or staff member in general. In everyday language, the precise choice depends on context and sector.

Etymology and history: The term derives from bedienen, meaning to serve or to attend to, with the agentive suffix -er. Historically, bediende and bediensteter appeared in Dutch in the 19th and 20th centuries and were used widely in administrative and clerical contexts. In modern usage, they are relatively formal or older-fashioned; many speakers prefer medewerker or werknemer.

Usage: In contemporary Dutch, bediensteter is still found in official texts, legal language, or historical descriptions, and occasionally in specific professional fields. In everyday speech, however, it is less common, with medewerker or werknemer serving as the common equivalents. In Belgian Dutch, usage varies by region and context.

See also: Ambtenaar, Medewerker, Werknemer.