English

Noun

deputy first minister ‎(plural deputy first ministers)

1. The joint head of government of Northern Ireland, nominated by the second largest grouping in the Assembly.
2. Used other than as an idiom: see deputy,‎ first minister.

Usage notes

Because the deputy first minister has the same powers as the first minister, when capitalized as a title it is usually written as deputy First Minister rather than Deputy First Minister. This increases the standing of the office holder and avoids confusion with similarly named posts such as Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom which are subordinate to the head of government.