Definition of head of state Head of state
We found 3 definitions of head of state from 3 different sources.
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What does head of state mean?
WordNet
Noun |
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| head of state - the chief public representative of a country who may also be the head of government | ||
| chief of state | ||
| representative a person who represents others | ||
| premier, prime minister, chancellor the person who holds the position of head of the government in the United Kingdom | ||
| premier, prime minister, pm the person who holds the position of head of the government in the United Kingdom | ||
| president the chief executive of a republic | ||
| united states president, chief executive, president of the united states, president the office of the United States head of state; "a President is elected every four years" | ||
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Wiktionary 
- head of state (Noun)
The chief public representative of a nation having duties, privileges and responsibilities varying greatly depending on the constitutional rules; a monarch in a monarchy, and often styled president in a republic, but variations such as collegiality exist.
Wikipedia 
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The head of state of a country is its highest leader. However, the head of state may not have very much real power.
In a modern republic the head of state is a president, usually elected by the people or by a parliament. In a monarchy the head of state is the king or queen. Some countries have different systems - for example the head of state of the Vatican City is the Pope.
In a modern monarchy the head of state usually has little real power. Instead the most powerful person is the head of government. This is usually the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in an election. In these cases the king is considered to be the leader of the country, but must always take the decisions that the head of government advises them to make. The king or queen carries out national ceremonies. The United Kingdom works like this, with the Prime Minister heading the state.
A president may be the most powerful person in the country. This is true in the United States. However sometimes there is a head of government as well as a president. The president then acts very much like a king or queen, leaving the real decisions to the head of government. The Republic of Ireland works like this. In Singapore, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara is the head of state.
In older times and some modern countries the head of state has absolute power.
