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

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

How do you decide which tasks to delegate to AI?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It scrambled senior officials to talks in Geneva and all of Sunday we saw delegates from the US and Ukraine shuttling back and forth between the two main venues in black limousines with darkened windows.

Read more on BBC

The prime minister pledged £200m to the site at the Scottish Labour conference telling delegates it was an "investment in Scotland's industrial future".

Read more on BBC

"We make energy policy in our capital not in yours," the Saudi delegate told them in a closed-door meeting, according to one observer.

Read more on BBC

Bleary-eyed delegates took their seats, eager to see the marathon talks finally come to an end.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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