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deputy

[dep-yuh-tee]
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noun, plural dep·u·ties.

a person appointed or authorized to act as a substitute for another or others.
deputy sheriff.
a person appointed or elected as assistant to a public official, serving as successor in the event of a vacancy.
a person representing a constituency in certain legislative bodies.

adjective

appointed, elected, or serving as an assistant or second-in-command.

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RELATED WORDS

commissioner, representative, aide, delegate, appointee, minister, ambassador, sub, surrogate, regent, lieutenant, proxy, factor, subordinate, legate, backup, substitute, replacement, councilor, dogcatcher

Origin of deputy

1375–1425; late Middle English depute < Old French, noun use of past participle of deputer to depute
Related formsdep·u·ty·ship, nounsub·dep·u·ty, noun, plural sub·dep·u·ties.

Synonyms for deputy

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deputy ON THESAURUS.COM
1. agent, representative, surrogate, envoy, emissary, proxy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for deputy

Contemporary Examples of deputy

Historical Examples of deputy

British Dictionary definitions for deputy

deputy

noun plural -ties

  1. a person appointed to act on behalf of or represent another
  2. (as modifier)the deputy chairman
a member of the legislative assembly or of the lower chamber of the legislature in various countries, such as France
British mining another word for fireman (def. 4)

Word Origin for deputy

C16: from Old French depute, from deputer to appoint; see depute
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for deputy
n.

c.1400, "one given the full power of an officer without holding the office," from Anglo-French deputé, noun use of past participle of Middle French députer "appoint, assign" (14c.), from Late Latin deputare "to destine, allot," in classical Latin "to esteem, consider, consider as," literally "to cut off, prune," from de- "away" (see de-) + putare "to think, count, consider," literally "to cut, prune" (see pave).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper