Vertretende

Vertretende is an attributive adjective in German derived from the verb vertreten, meaning to represent or to stand in for someone. It denotes someone who is temporarily filling a role or office because the usual holder is unavailable or interim. The term emphasizes the function of substitution rather than permanent succession. In use, it is declined like other adjectives to agree with gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Common contexts include official or organizational titles. Examples: die vertretende Vorsitzende (the acting chairwoman), der vertretende Geschäftsführer (the acting managing director), das vertretende Amt (the acting office). The form change depends on the gender of the noun and the grammatical case; masculine, feminine, and neuter forms as well as plural forms adjust accordingly.

Related terms and distinctions: stellvertretend is an adverb meaning “in a representative capacity,” and Stellvertreter/Stellvertreterin denotes a deputy or substitute person. Stellvertretung refers to the act of substitution, while vertretende emphasizes the person temporarily holding the position. In practice, both vertretende and stellvertretende usages may appear, with the latter often more common in some contexts to describe deputy roles, whereas vertretende highlights the acting status.

In summary, vertretende is used to identify someone acting in a role temporarily, especially in formal titles, and resembles other German forms that mark temporary substitution or representation.