Gerency

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or office of managing and administering the affairs of a business or organization
2. The responsibility for directing and running the affairs of an enterprise or institution
3. Control over the running of an undertaking, exercised by someone appointed to manage it

Etymology: "Gerency" is a noun formed from the verb "gerent," which comes from Latin "gerere," meaning "to bear, carry, wield, or manage." That Latin root also gave English "gesture," "belligerent" and "suggest," all sharing the sense of carrying or bearing something. The verb "gerent" and its derived noun "gerency" are of a more technical and rarely used character, found mainly in legal and administrative contexts. The noun is built from the present participle stem "gerent-", which in Latin meant "one who bears or carries out" a task. Over time, English applied this sense to a person managing affairs on another's behalf, giving rise to "gerent" as a term for a manager or administrator. "Gerency" then names the office or function of such a person, that is, the responsibility of directing an enterprise or institution.

Synonyms: management, administration, governance, direction, government