delegation
Americannoun
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a group or body of delegates.
Our club sent a delegation to the rally.
-
the body of delegates chosen to represent a political unit, as a state, in an assembly.
the New Jersey delegation in Congress.
- Synonyms:
- commission
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the act of delegating.
-
the state of being delegated.
noun
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a person or group chosen to represent another or others
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the act of delegating or state of being delegated
-
politics all the members of Congress from one state
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of delegation
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dēlēgātiōn-, stem of dēlēgātiō “assignment, appointment,” equivalent to dēlēgāt(us) “assigned, appointed” ( see delegate) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A delegation is a group of people who act as representatives of a larger group. If you’re a member of Congress from the Sunshine State, you’re a member of the Florida delegation. Ever seen the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games? Each country's delegation enters the stadium as a group, marching behind its own flag. Some delegations are a few hundred people, some are only a few, but each delegation is made up of the athletes and coaches sent to represent their country. You can also use delegation to mean assigning something to someone. While you're in the Amazon, you'll need to arrange with your roommates for delegation of your bill-paying duties.
Vocabulary lists containing delegation
Flowers for Algernon
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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Bill Withers (1938–2020) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The government delegation in Madrid said on X early Saturday that overnight conditions had "greatly aided the fight against the wildfires, which advanced little and decreased in intensity".
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
That figure would make Teixeira likely the wealthiest member of the Texas delegation and one of the richest in Congress.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
In June, an official Taiwanese delegation was set to travel to the annual Our Ocean Conference, a U.S. government-initiated conservation summit, which was held in Kenya this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
That had all kinds of ramifications, starting with the State Department’s refusal to grant visas to more than a dozen members of Iran’s official delegation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Governor Wallace refused to receive a delegation from the marchers.
From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman
Together he and Clinton cofounded and cochaired the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, traveled abroad together on congressional delegations, and partnered on climate policy and healthcare initiatives.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The delegations were joined by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the head of the country's armed forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Preparations had been made to host Iranian and US delegations led by Tehran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Soccer guided Infantino around the Zurich Hallenstadion to glad hand with delegations from FIFA’s then-207 member associations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
I wrote newspaper articles, led parades and relief delegations, and so on.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
