delegate

[del-i-git, -geyt, del-i-geyt]

noun

1. a person designated to act for or represent another or others; deputy; representative, as in a political convention.

2. (formerly) the representative of a Territory in the U.S. House of Representatives.

3. a member of the lower house of the state legislature of Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia.

verb (used with object)

delegated, delegating 

1. to send or appoint (a person) as deputy or representative.

2. to commit (powers, functions, etc.) to another as agent or deputy.

   Synonyms: transfer, assign, entrust

delegate

/ ˈdɛlɪɡəbəl /

noun

1. a person chosen or elected to act for or represent another or others, esp at a conference or meeting

2. government a representative of a territory in the US House of Representatives

verb

1. to give or commit (duties, powers, etc) to another as agent or representative; depute

2. (tr) to send, authorize, or elect (a person) as agent or representative

3. (tr) to assign (a person owing a debt to oneself) to one's creditor in substitution for oneself

Other Word Forms

• delegable adjective
• delegatee noun
• delegator noun
• nondelegate noun
• predelegate noun
• redelegate verb (used with object)
• subdelegate verb (used with object)
• undelegated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of delegate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (past participle) delegat, from Medieval Latin dēlēgātus, noun use of past participle of dēlēgāre “to assign,” equivalent to dē- de- + lēgātus “deputed”; legate

Word History and Origins

Origin of delegate¹

C14: from Latin dēlēgāre to send on a mission, from lēgāre to send, depute; see _legate

Example Sentences

Asked how things were going, one delegate sent back a clip from a famous Egyptian soap opera that showed a hapless boss pointlessly opening and closing the lids and drawers of his desk.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Swinney told delegates his proposals were the most realistic way of pursuing the goal, based on a precedent which brought about the 2014 referendum.

Read more on BBC

On Saturday delegates at the party's conference in Aberdeen backed his strategy ahead of a bid to make the next election a de-facto poll on independence.

Read more on BBC

The players, officials and government delegates onboard left the aircraft and were waiting for a new plane.

Read more on Barron's

When Kashyap presented the idea to his two fellow general partners, not everyone agreed on how much they should delegate to AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• commissioner 
• deputy 
• envoy 
• member 
• minister 
• nominee 
• senator