1. A regional administrator or leader in Nazi Germany, appointed to govern a district (Gau) under Adolf Hitler's regime.
Usage: historical; often capitalized; German loanword
2. Any authoritarian regional administrator or petty dictator.
Usage: figurative; often derogatory

Examples

• The gauleiter of Bavaria held significant power over the region during the Nazi era.
• Each gauleiter reported directly to Hitler and enforced party policies in their district.
• The local gauleiter controlled all aspects of government, industry, and social life.
• Historians study the role of individual gauleiters to understand how the Nazi regime operated.
• The term gauleiter is sometimes used metaphorically to describe any petty authoritarian ruler.