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

On Saturday delegates at the party's conference in Aberdeen backed his strategy ahead of a bid to make the next election a de-facto poll on independence.

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The players, officials and government delegates onboard left the aircraft and were waiting for a new plane.

Read more on Barron's

When Kashyap presented the idea to his two fellow general partners, not everyone agreed on how much they should delegate to AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"I have spent a large proportion of my life trying to warn of the existential threats facing us over global warming, climate change and biodiversity loss," the King told delegates.

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They are delegated to providing the humor, and much of the humanity, except when Jules, as he prefers not to be called, is with Louise.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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