deputy
Americannoun
plural
deputies-
a person appointed or authorized to act as a substitute for another or others.
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a person appointed or elected as assistant to a public official, serving as successor in the event of a vacancy.
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a person representing a constituency in certain legislative bodies.
adjective
noun
-
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a person appointed to act on behalf of or represent another
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( as modifier )
the deputy chairman
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a member of the legislative assembly or of the lower chamber of the legislature in various countries, such as France
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mining another word for fireman
Other Word Forms
- deputyship noun
- subdeputy noun
Etymology
Origin of deputy
1375–1425; late Middle English depute < Old French, noun use of past participle of deputer to depute
Explanation
A deputy is a sheriff's assistant, the person who fills in when the sheriff isn't available. When a deputy is in charge, she has the same powers and authority as the sheriff. You can use the noun deputy for anyone who is singled out to step in for another person. A deputy leader of a government fills in when the president or prime minister is ill, and a magazine's deputy editor is qualified to edit an issue when the editor isn't available. The Middle French root is députer, "appoint or assign," from the Late Latin deputare.
Vocabulary lists containing deputy
Iroquois Constitution
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"Yummy" by G. Neri
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Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)
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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.
Here, it's Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie who has seen off challenge after challenge from the SNP, though they came within 109 votes of unseating her in 2016.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Secretary General António Guterres said after meeting with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
He has a grandson who’s a deputy sheriff in Riverside.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
The unlikely friendship between the deputy prime minister and the vice-president began when Lammy was an opposition MP and Vance had just been elected to the US Senate.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Later that week I was called down to see Mr. Fuller, the deputy principal.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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.
