leiter

Leiter is a German noun with two principal meanings. When written with the definite article die, Leiter means ladder, the accessible, portable framework with steps used for reaching higher places. When written as der Leiter, it means a leader or manager—someone who directs a team, department, or project. The corresponding feminine form for a leadership sense is Leiterin; plural forms die Leitern (ladders) and die Leiterinnen/Leiter (leaders) reflect different genders and pluralization.

In everyday German, context clarifies which meaning is intended. For example, Ich klettere die Leiter hinauf means I climb the ladder, while Sie ist die Leiterin des Projekts means she is the project leader. Compound titles such as Abteilungsleiter (department head), Bereichsleiter (area manager), and Gruppenleiter (group supervisor) are common.

As a surname, Leiter is found in German-speaking regions and among Ashkenazi Jewish communities. It may appear in biographies, literature, and historical records as a family name without implying any particular occupation.

Etymologically, the two senses derive from separate roots: ladder from the everyday object word and leader from the verb leiten “to lead” with the agent noun suffix -er. The two senses are distinct in meaning but identical in spelling, which can occasionally lead to ambiguity without articles or context.

Outside German, Leiter appears mainly as a proper noun—a surname or a loanword in studies of German language and culture.