Definition of delegate
: a person acting for another: such asa : a representative to a convention or conference U.N. delegates from African nations The nominee netted a handful of delegates in the state's caucus.b government : a representative of a U.S. territory in the House of Representativesc government : a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia
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Examples of delegate in a Sentence
the U.N. delegates from African countries
He's been chosen as a delegate to the convention.
Origin and Etymology of delegate
Middle English delegat, from Medieval Latin delegatus, from Latin, past participle of delegare to delegate, from de- + legare to send — more at legate
First Known Use: 15th century
Definition of delegate
delegated
;delegating
transitive verb
1 : to entrust to another delegate authority delegated the task to her assistant
2 : to appoint as one's representative
intransitive verb
: to assign responsibility or authority a good manager knows how to delegate
Examples of delegate in a Sentence
A manager should delegate authority to the best employees.
Those chores can be delegated to someone else.
He doesn't delegate very well.
Did You Know?
To "delegate" is literally or figuratively to send another in one's place, an idea that is reflected in the word’s origin; it is a descendant of Latin legare, meaning "to send as an emissary." Other English words that can be traced back to "legare" include "legate" ("a usually official emissary"), "legacy," "colleague," and "relegate." The noun delegate, meaning "a person acting for another," entered English in the 15th century, followed by the verb in the next century.
Origin and Etymology of delegate
see 1delegate
First Known Use: 1530
DELEGATE Defined for English Language Learners
delegate
playDefinition of delegate for English Language Learners
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: a person who is chosen or elected to vote or act for others
delegate
playDefinition of delegate for English Language Learners
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: to give (control, responsibility, authority, etc.) to someone : to trust someone with (a job, duty, etc.)
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: to choose (someone) to do something
DELEGATE Defined for Kids
Definition of delegate for Students
: a person sent with power to act for another or others
Definition of delegate for Students
delegated
;delegating
1 : to entrust to another The voters delegate power to their elected officials.
2 : to make responsible for getting something done We were delegated to clean up.
Law Dictionary
Legal Definition of delegate
: a person empowered to act on behalf of another: as a : a person who is authorized to perform another's duties under a contract b : a representative to a convention (as of a political party) or conference c : a representative of a U.S. territory in the House of Representatives d : a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia
Origin and Etymology of delegate
Medieval Latin delegatus, from Latin, past participle of delegare to appoint, put in charge
Legal Definition of delegate
delegated
delegating
transitive verb
1 : to entrust or transfer (as power, authority, or responsibility) to another: as a : to transfer (one's contractual duties) to another b : to empower a body (as an administrative agency) to perform (a governmental function) — see also nondelegation doctrine
2 : to appoint as one's representative
intransitive verb
: to transfer responsibility or authority
Learn More about delegate
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See words that rhyme with delegate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for delegate Spanish Central: Translation of delegate Nglish: Translation of delegate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of delegate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about delegate
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