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
- nondelegation noun
- predelegation noun
- redelegation noun
- subdelegation noun
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.
The doctors travel with the delegation and do what they can.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
On Saturday, President Donald Trump told Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff not to travel to Pakistan’s Islamabad for further negotiations with a delegation from Tehran.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
The U.S. delegation was headed to Pakistan when Trump called the trip off on Saturday.
From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026
JD Vance led the US delegation in the first round of talks earlier this month but so far is not confirmed to be going to the negotiations this weekend.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The next afternoon, on the thirty-fourth ballot, the Wisconsin delegation attempted to end the two-day stalemate.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
