Bundes

Bundes is a German-language prefix meaning federal or nationwide. It is attached to nouns to designate institutions and bodies that operate at the national or federal level rather than within a single state or canton. The root Bund historically referred to a federation or league, and the compound form Bundes- has become standard in naming federal authorities in Germany and other German-speaking regions.

In Germany, many central institutions bear the prefix or are closely associated with the federal level, such as the Bundeskanzler (Chancellor), die Bundesregierung (the federal government), and the Bundesministerium (federal ministry). Other well-known federal entities include the Bundesrat (Federal Council representing the Länder) and the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court). The prefix also appears in agencies such as the Bundesnachrichtendienst (Federal Intelligence Service) and the Bundespolizei (Federal Police).

In Switzerland, which uses German as one of its official languages, Bundes- marks federal institutions as well. Examples include the Bundesrat (Federal Council), the Bundesversammlung (Federal Assembly), and the Bundesgericht (Federal Court). The Swiss application follows the same basic convention of signaling national-level authority through the BundPrefix, even though the exact constitutional structures differ from those in Germany.

The use of Bundes thus reflects a linguistic convention for naming federal authorities. While the specific powers and organization vary by country, the prefix consistently signals that an institution operates at the level of the federation rather than at a subnational, cantonal, or state level.