delegate

[ noun del-i-git, -geyt; verb del-i-geyt ]
See synonyms for: delegatedelegateddelegatesdelegating on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

verb (used with object),del·e·gat·ed, del·e·gat·ing.
  1. to send or appoint (a person) as deputy or representative.

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

Origin of delegate

1
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”; see legate

Other words for delegate

Other words from delegate

  • del·e·ga·tee [del-i-guh-tee], /ˌdɛl ɪ gəˈti/, noun
  • del·e·ga·tor [del-i-gey-ter], /ˈdɛl ɪˌgeɪ tər/, noun
  • non·del·e·gate, noun
  • pre·del·e·gate, noun, verb, pre·del·e·gat·ed, pre·del·e·gat·ing.
  • re·del·e·gate, verb (used with object), re·del·e·gat·ed, re·del·e·gat·ing.
  • sub·del·e·gate, noun
  • sub·del·e·gate, verb (used with object), sub·del·e·gat·ed, sub·del·e·gat·ing.
  • un·del·e·gat·ed, adjective

Words Nearby delegate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use delegate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for delegate

delegate

noun(ˈdɛlɪˌɡeɪt, -ɡɪt)
  1. a person chosen or elected to act for or represent another or others, esp at a conference or meeting

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

verb(ˈdɛlɪˌɡeɪt)
  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

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

Origin of delegate

1
C14: from Latin dēlēgāre to send on a mission, from lēgāre to send, depute; see legate

Derived forms of delegate

  • delegable (ˈdɛlɪɡəbəl), adjective

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