intendant

The intendant oversees the workers in the factory.

Definition

Noun:
- A public official or administrator: "intendant" refers to a person who holds a position of authority as a supervisor or manager, particularly in historical or governmental contexts, such as a colonial administrator or a high-ranking officer in charge of a district or department.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- The intendant of the province was responsible for collecting taxes and maintaining order. (A public administrator overseeing a region.)
- Under the French colonial system, each territory had an intendant who reported directly to the king. (A high-ranking official with administrative duties.)

Advanced Usage

"Intendant of finance": a historical title for an official in charge of financial matters, especially in France before the Revolution.
- The intendant of finance managed the royal treasury and oversaw tax collection. (A specific administrative role.)
"Colonial intendant": a governor or administrator in a colony, often with broad powers over economic and social affairs.
- The colonial intendant implemented trade policies that benefited the mother country. (A regional administrator in a colony.)

Variants and Related Words

Intendancy (n): the office or jurisdiction of an intendant.
- The intendancy of the region was abolished after the revolution. (The administrative area under an intendant's control.)
Intendant-ship (n): the position or tenure of an intendant.
- He served an intendancy of ten years in the colony. (The period during which he held the role.)

Synonyms

Administrator: a person responsible for managing or directing affairs.
Superintendent: a person who oversees or manages an organization or activity.
Governor: a person who governs a province or territory.

Related Idioms

None common. "Intendant" is a formal, historical term not typically used in idiomatic expressions.

Phrasal Verbs