Legal Definitions - intendant

An intendant refers to a high-ranking official, typically a director or administrator, responsible for overseeing a specific government agency or department. While historically prominent in 17th and 18th-century France as powerful royal officials managing justice, finance, and public order within various regions, in modern usage, it generally denotes a senior manager within a public sector organization.

• Example 1: A large city government appoints an individual to manage all aspects of its public transportation system, including bus routes, maintenance schedules, and budget allocation. This person, responsible for the entire operation of the municipal transport agency, would be considered an intendant.

  Explanation: This illustrates the modern application of the term to a director or senior administrator overseeing a specific government agency, in this case, a city's public transit.

• Example 2: In a country where the arts are largely state-funded, the individual tasked with the artistic direction, financial oversight, and overall operational management of a national opera house or theater company might hold the title of intendant.

  Explanation: Here, the term describes a senior administrator responsible for a government-supported cultural institution, demonstrating its use for a director of a public sector entity.

• Example 3: During a period of colonial expansion, a central government might dispatch a high-ranking official to a newly acquired territory to establish its administrative structures, manage its finances, and ensure the implementation of imperial laws. This official, acting as the chief administrator for the region, would effectively serve as an intendant.

  Explanation: This example reflects the historical context of an intendant as a powerful government official charged with broad administrative responsibilities, including finance and justice, within a specific geographical area.