Mandant

Mandant is a German noun used to denote a client or principal who engages a person or organization to perform tasks or provide representation. The term is common in law, consulting, auditing, and public administration in German-speaking regions. A Mandant instructs the service provider and pays for the services; the provider acts on the Mandant's instructions.

Etymology and scope: Mandant derives from Latin mandare, to entrust, and has entered German through legal and administrative language. It is closely related to Mandat (mandate).

Legal context: In German law, the Mandant hires a lawyer or notary to represent their interests. The Mandant defines objectives, provides information, and approves strategy; the attorney must act in the Mandant's best interests and maintain confidentiality. The term also appears in other professions that operate on a mandate.

Computing usage: In enterprise software such as SAP, Mandant denotes a client or tenant—an independent data environment within a system. Each Mandant has its own master data, configurations, and user authorizations, and access to one Mandant does not automatically grant access to others.

Usage in English texts: While widely understood in German-speaking contexts, Mandant is generally translated as client or principal in English. In software and formal documentation, however, the term may appear untranslated to denote a multi-tenant or client-specific construct.