noun
- plural of stadtholder: chief magistrates or governors in the former Dutch Republic
Usage: historical
Examples
- The stadtholders wielded considerable power in the Dutch provinces.
- William of Orange was one of the most famous stadtholders in Dutch history.
- The position of stadtholder was often hereditary within certain noble families.
- Different provinces sometimes had different stadtholders governing them.
- The stadtholders played crucial roles during the Dutch Golden Age.
- Some stadtholders later became kings when the Netherlands became a monarchy.