Regierender

Regierender is a noun form derived from the German verb regieren (to govern). In contemporary usage it appears primarily as part of formal titles to designate the person who leads a government. The most common combinations are Regierender Bürgermeister and Regierender Ministerpräsident. The word signals that the holder is the active ruler or governor of a state or city-state. Outside of such titles, Regierender is rarely used on its own.

Usage and contexts: In Germany, the best-known instance is the Regierender Bürgermeister of Berlin, the head of government for the city-state. In other states the head of government is typically called Ministerpräsident or Ministerpräsidentin; the phrase Regierender Ministerpräsident can occur in historical or ceremonial contexts. The form is characteristic of bureaucratic or formal writing and is most often encountered in official titles rather than everyday speech.

Grammar and nuance: Regierender is the masculine nominative singular form of the participle used as a noun. It can also function as shorthand for the office itself, for example in sentences like “Der Regierende hat eine Erklärung abgegeben.” The term emphasizes the active act of governance.

See also: Government, Head of government, Ministerpräsident, Bürgermeister, Berlin.