delegation
Americannoun
-
delegations
plural
-
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.
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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
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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 equipment delivered to the National Environment Agency in 2013 has been idle for 12 years due to a lack of maintenance and money to run them, according to the EU delegation in Tirana.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
In reality, the organisation was a shambles, a member of the Benin delegation told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
No others from the Chinese delegation were allowed to use the “hold room,” as it was called—not even Cai Qi, Xi’s chief of staff, they added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
There was no immediate comment from the US, whose delegation walked out of the chamber at the start of Pezeshkian's address.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
They’re tourists, from Japan it looks like, a trade delegation perhaps, on a tour of the historic landmarks or out for local color.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
The United Nations General Assembly event is underway in New York, with delegations from around the world meeting to give speeches and hold meetings.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Israel has stepped up its attacks in southern Lebanon after weeks of relative calm, as delegations from both countries finished another round of U.S.-brokered talks exploring a diplomatic solution to years of fighting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
He said the regime has no current plans to send or host delegations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
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
Facing each other across a room, two delegations of elite clerics battled over the nature of God.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
