delegation

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noun del·e·ga·tion \ ˌde-li-ˈgā-shən \

Definition of delegation

1 :the act of empowering to act for another

the delegation of responsibilities

2 :a group of persons chosen to represent others

the state's congressional delegation

See delegation defined for English-language learners

See delegation defined for kids

Examples of delegation in a Sentence

He's been chosen to lead the delegation to the conference.
a delegation from the local scout troop is being sent to the national jamboree

Recent Examples of delegation from the Web

Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner and a U.S. diplomatic delegation met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday after stops earlier in the week in Jordan, Egypt and the Persian Gulf.

— jonathan ferziger, Bloomberg.com, "Kushner Tours Mideast as Palestinian Patience Wears Thin," 24 Aug. 2017
If approved by the delegation, IASB would lobby to get the measures passed through the Legislature and signed by the governor.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Local districts shoring up message as they push for legislation," 24 Aug. 2017
But Oregon's congressional delegation has split over the monument along party lines, with Democratic Sens.

— jennifer yachnin, Science | AAAS, "Trump team nears decision on national monuments," 18 Aug. 2017
According to a news release from the White House, the first lady will lead the United States delegation at the Invictus Games in Toronto, which start September 23.

— megan friedman, Cosmopolitan, "Melania Trump Is Going to Meet Prince Harry on Her First Solo Trip Abroad," 27 July 2017
In 2007, she was appointed by President George W. Bush as a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nation’s General Assembly.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "John Calipari in DC to support Trump's pick for ambassador to Canada," 20 July 2017
In 2015, the Saudi king opened the Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam, for Kadyrov and his delegation on a rare occasion when visitors were allowed to see it outside the holy month of Ramadan.

— nataliya vasilyeva, The Seattle Times, "Chechnya becoming major player in rebuilding war-torn Syria," 18 July 2017
And, for the first time since 1941, the state has no women serving in its congressional delegation.

— josh hicks, Washington Post, "Maya Rockeymoore, wife of Rep. Elijah Cummings, weighs run for Md. governor," 18 July 2017
That decision essentially wiped off the books term-limit laws that 23 states had for their congressional delegations.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Most Republican Senate hopefuls in Alabama want term limits for Congress -but not everyone," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delegation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

What Is a delegation?

The task of a delegation—each member of which can be called a delegate—is to represent a larger group, often at a conference. Thus, a delegation of nondoctors to a medical convention may want to make sure the rights and needs of patients aren't ignored, just as a delegation of laypeople may attend a religious conference to express the concerns of other laypeople.