What is "privatdozent"

Privatdocent \Pri*vat"do*cent`\, n.; G. pl. -docenten. [Also Privatdozent.] [G.; privat private + docent teacher. See Docent.] In the universities of Germany and some other European countries, a licensed teacher or lecturer having no share in the university government and dependent upon fees for remuneration.

n. In some European country, an academic who holds all formal qualifications (doctorate and habilitation) to become a tenured university professor.

Privatdozent (for men) or Privatdozentin (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifications that denote an ability to teach (venia legendi) a designated subject at university level. In its current usage, the title indicates that the holder has permission to teach and examine independently at the conferring university without holding a professorial chair. The title is not necessarily connected to a salaried position, but may entail a nominal obligation to teach at the conferring institution.