nounnoun

der Regierungschef, -s

head of government

Die Person, die ein Land oder eine Region politisch anführt und die wichtigste Rolle in der Leitung der Verwaltung spielt.

Meaning (English):
Regierungschef means head of government—the person who leads the executive branch and directs the day-to-day work of the government. In many countries this corresponds to the prime minister; in Germany it can refer to the Bundeskanzler (federal chancellor) or, on the state level, a Ministerpräsident.

Multiple meanings / usage

General sense: the top political leader of a government (head of government) in any country.
German political context:
- Bundesebene (federal level): the Bundeskanzler is the Regierungschef.
- Länderebene (state level): the Ministerpräsident is often called the Regierungschef of a Land.

(Note: This is different from Staatsoberhaupt “head of state” such as the Bundespräsident in Germany.)

Word parts

Regierung = government
Chef = chief / boss / head
→ literally: “government chief”

German synonyms

Regierungsleiter
Kanzler (especially for Germany, federal level)
Ministerpräsident (state level in Germany; functionally a Regierungschef)
Premierminister (common term for “prime minister”)

German antonyms (where applicable)

There is no perfect direct antonym, but common contrasts are:

Oppositionsführer / Oppositionspolitiker (leader/politician of the opposition rather than the government)
Untergebener / Mitarbeiter (subordinate, in a general hierarchical sense)