noun

die Regierung, -en

government

Eine Gruppe von Menschen, die ein Land oder ein Gebiet leitet und wichtige Entscheidungen trifft.

Definition & meaning

Regierung means government: the group of people and institutions that govern a country, state, or municipality and make or implement political decisions.

It can refer to:

The government as an executive body
This includes the chancellor or prime minister, ministers, and the ministries.
- Die Regierung beschließt neue Gesetze. — “The government is passing new laws.”
A particular administration or period of rule
In this sense, it can mean the governing leadership during a specific period.
- Unter dieser Regierung wurden viele Reformen durchgeführt. — “Many reforms were carried out under this administration.”

Depending on context, Regierung can therefore be translated as government, administration, or sometimes regime. “Regime” can sound more negative in English, while the German word itself is neutral.

Grammar & Word origin

Gender: feminine
Article: die
Plural: die Regierungen
Pronunciation: approximately reh-GEER-oong

The word is derived from the verb regieren (“to govern, rule”) with the noun-forming suffix -ung . The underlying root comes from Latin regere, meaning “to rule” or “to direct.”

Related German words include:

der Regierungschef — head of government
der Regierungsminister — government minister
die Regierungspartei — governing party

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

das Kabinett — the cabinet, especially the ministers forming the government; narrower than Regierung in some contexts.
die Staatsführung — state leadership or governance; emphasizes the act or direction of governing rather than the government as an institution.
die Verwaltung — administration; usually refers to the bureaucratic apparatus, not the political leadership itself.
das Regime — regime or ruling system; often carries a negative or authoritarian implication that Regierung does not necessarily have.

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym for Regierung, but depending on the context, possible opposites include:

die Opposition — the political parties or groups not currently in government.
die Anarchie — a situation without an effective government or governing authority.
die Regierungslosigkeit — the absence of a government; relatively uncommon and mostly formal.

Common phrases & collocations

die Bundesregierung — the federal government
die Landesregierung — a state government in Germany or a regional government
die neue Regierung — the new government
eine Regierung bilden — to form a government
die Regierung übernehmen — to take over the government or assume power
die Regierung stürzen — to overthrow or bring down the government
unter der Regierung von … — under the government of …
Regierung und Opposition — government and opposition
der Regierungssitz — seat of government