nounnounnoun

der Leiter, –

ladder

Definition & meaning

Leiter has two common meanings, distinguished by grammatical gender:

der Leiter — a person who leads or is in charge of a group, department, organization, or activity. Depending on context, this can mean a manager, director, or head.
Example: Der Leiter der Abteilung means “the head of the department.”

It can also mean a material or component that conducts electricity or heat, as in ein elektrischer Leiter (“an electrical conductor”).
die Leiter — a ladder, used for climbing or reaching a height.
Example: Sie steigt auf die Leiter means “She climbs onto the ladder.”

The feminine noun has the plural Leitern; the masculine noun’s plural is Leiter.

Grammar & Word origin

der Leiter is masculine. Its plural is die Leiter.
die Leiter meaning “ladder” is feminine. Its plural is die Leitern.

The masculine word is formed from leiten (“to lead, direct”) and the agent suffix -er, so it originally refers to someone who leads. The feminine word meaning “ladder” has a separate historical origin, though it is also related to the idea of leading or guiding upward.

Synonyms & antonyms

For der Leiter meaning “person in charge”:

Chef — an informal, common word for a boss; it can sound less formal than Leiter.
Führungskraft — a management or leadership professional, often used in workplace contexts.
Vorgesetzter — a person who has authority over an employee; it emphasizes the reporting relationship rather than responsibility for an entire group or organization.

A possible contrast is Untergebener (“subordinate”), but it describes a person’s position relative to a superior rather than a strict antonym.

For die Leiter meaning “ladder,” there is no common exact synonym or antonym.