Fuehrers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term that refers to leaders, particularly in a political context, often associated with totalitarian regimes
2. A designation for individuals in positions of authority or command, sometimes used in a historically specific manner for certain regimes
3. An expression denoting a person who leads or directs a group, frequently used in reference to dictatorship or autocratic leadership

Etymology: "Fuehrers" is the plural of "fuehrer," the German word for "leader," so its history is essentially the history of that German noun. In German, "Führer" comes from the verb "führen," meaning "to lead" or "to conduct," and it has been used for guides, leaders and commanders for centuries. The umlaut in the spelling "Führer" is written as "ue" in English when the letter cannot be typed easily, which is why the form "fuehrers" appears in plain text. In English the plural is simply formed by adding "s," as it would be for any noun. Its political sense in English comes almost entirely from twentieth-century usage, when the German title was applied to Adolf Hitler and so became closely tied to totalitarian dictatorship. Outside of that association, the word still carries its plain meaning of a person who leads or directs others.

Synonyms: leaders, commanders