delegation

American  

[del-i-gey-shuhn] / ˌdɛl ɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a group or body of delegates.

   Our club sent a delegation to the rally.

2. the body of delegates chosen to represent a political unit, as a state, in an assembly.

   the New Jersey delegation in Congress.

   Synonyms:

   commission

3. the act of delegating.

4. the state of being delegated.

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delegation British  

/ ˌdɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. a person or group chosen to represent another or others

2. the act of delegating or state of being delegated

3. politics all the members of Congress from one state

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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” ( delegate ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

In addition, a U.S. congressional delegation recently visited Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Neither was there any reporting on whether the congressional delegation was lodging at either of Trump’s two resorts in Scotland.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

I went as part of the press delegation, which was a mix of journalists, podcasters and content creators.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

He led the Sinn Féin delegation during peace talks that eventually brought an end to the Troubles after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Abigail remained confident that Jefferson could be trusted, that the bipartisan direction was the proper course, and the inclusion of a prominent Republican on the peace delegation to France, probably Madison, was a shrewd move.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• commission
• contingent
• embassy
• gathering
• organization