delegate

American  

[del-i-git, -geyt, del-i-geyt] / ˈdɛl ɪ gɪt, -ˌgeɪt, ˈdɛl ɪˌgeɪt /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

• delegable adjective
• delegatee noun
• delegator noun
• nondelegate noun
• predelegate noun
• redelegate verb (used with object)
• subdelegate noun
• undelegated adjective

Etymology

Origin of delegate

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

Example Sentences

With multiple candidates seeking the endorsement, it may be hard for any single one to reach the 60% threshold of delegate votes needed.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

Despite the uncertainty, at least one delegate ended the trade mission with a new customer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

You hire them to delegate your investment decisions — not to beat market averages.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

I always wanted to bring in people I could trust and who were competent in the responsibilities I would delegate to them.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Martin was perhaps the first public advocate of the “covenant with death” interpretation of the Constitution, as well as the first former delegate to denounce the Sectional Compromise as a corrupt bargain.

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

Related Words

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