intendant

[ in-ten-duhnt ]

noun

1. a person who has the direction or management of some public business, the affairs of an establishment, etc.; a superintendent.
2. the title of various government officials, especially administrators serving under the French, Spanish, or Portuguese monarchies.

intendant

/ ɪnˈtɛndənt /

noun

1. history a provincial or colonial official of France, Spain, or Portugal
2. a senior administrator in some countries, esp in Latin America
3. a superintendent or manager

Word History and Origins

Origin of intendant¹

1645–55; < French < Latin intendent- (stem of intendēns ) present participle of intendere to stetch, make an effort (for), attend (to). See intend, -ant

Example Sentences

“When Susanne and I got the job as intendants, we asked ourselves, ‘Where can we really improve?’

From New York Times

“We had a sold-out house, so the intendant of the theater called me that morning at 9 a.m. to ask me to play,” recalled the head of the theater’s music staff, Valeria Polunina.

From New York Times

Unlike past intendants, however, Mr. Schulz will not stage operas for the company, which has just moved back to its historic home following a seven-year renovation.

From New York Times

For a long time, he was a nearly homeless intendant, forced to focus his energies on programming in the neo-Baroque Laeiszhalle.

From New York Times

But the experience of how cold and insensitive the building operators, lawyers, and super intendant were, left a harsh feeling in all of us at such a difficult time.

From New York Times