embætti

Embætti is an Icelandic term that denotes an official post or public office within the state administration. It can refer to the position held by a person as well as the organization or agency that performs government tasks. The word is used in formal and legal contexts to describe both offices and their incumbents, and it can apply to a range of forms of public service.

In Icelandic governance, embætti are part of the executive and administrative structure. They include ministerial offices (embætti ráðherra) as well as independent agencies and institutions that carry out public services. The term is commonly used to describe the offices associated with government work, as well as the people who occupy them.

Appointments to embætti and the tenure associated with them vary by office. Some embætti are filled through political processes, while others are filled by civil service procedures. The creation, modification, or dissolution of an embætti is typically governed by statute, regulation, or government decision, and the duties attached to an embætti are defined accordingly.

In everyday usage, embætti contrasts with broader terms such as stjórnsýsla (administration) and stofnanir (institutions). While embætti often refer to specific posts or offices within the state, the concept also encompasses the public offices and agencies that perform public tasks and deliver services to citizens.

See also: minister, ministry, civil service, government agency, public administration.