delegation
Americannoun
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a group or body of delegates.
Our club sent a delegation to the rally.
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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
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.
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang was part of a US business delegation that travelled to Beijing with President Donald Trump last week.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg was part of the US delegation that travelled with Trump to China.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Foreign diplomats and opposition leaders briefed our Hudson Institute delegation about Ukraine’s fight against corruption.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Politico reported last month that the two other Republicans in New Jersey’s GOP delegation had reached out to him and not heard anything in return.
From Slate • May 16, 2026
The Godslayer was two days interviewing scholars at the Great Library of Zosma, and in the end, he invited only three to join his delegation.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
