# stadtholder

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈstadˌhəʊldə/

## Definitions
1. The chief magistrate, then later, hereditary chief of state of the Dutch Republic.
2. An office formerly held by Danish and Swedish officials, best translated as governor-general.

## Etymology
Adapted from Dutch stadhouder (literally “city holder”) (obsolete spelling: stadthouder), calqued from Medieval Latin locum tenēns.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stadtholder