deputy

noun, often attributive dep·u·ty \ ˈde-pyə-tē \

Definition of deputy

plural deputies

1 a :a person appointed as a substitute with power to act

b :a second in command or assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent

2 :a member of the lower house of some legislative assemblies

See deputy defined for English-language learners

See deputy defined for kids

Examples of deputy in a Sentence

the club president sent a deputy to the conference to vote on our behalf
a deputy supervisor to help out with routine tasks

Recent Examples of deputy from the Web

Christopher Neary, the city’s deputy corporation counsel, said city officials were pleased with the ruling.

— dave collins, The Seattle Times, "Court overturns $190K verdict won by acquitted officer," 30 Aug. 2017
Steve Halliday, deputy chairman of fixed income at Toronto-Dominion Bank’s TD Securities, said by phone.

— allison mcneely, Bloomberg.com, "Apple Leads Maple Bond Surge to Decade High," 30 Aug. 2017
To avoid the bystander, Gudmundson changed directions and ran back toward where the deputy had fallen.

— rick kambic, chicagotribune.com, "Cops: Deputy hurt trying to stop motorcyclist who was clocked at 121 mph," 30 Aug. 2017
Deputies also seized three full-sized horses, eight dogs and 28 miniature horses from the property.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "They were expected to help the animals. Cops say they abused 30 horses and 8 dogs," 27 Aug. 2017
Deputies said Robinson barricaded himself inside the residence.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Semmes homeowner arrested after barricading himself inside residence," 23 Aug. 2017
Since then, the team has grown to seven investigators who work closely with sheriff’s deputies and local police.

— john diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017
Another wave of resignations included Alliance for American Manufacturing president Scott Paul and A.F.L.-C.I.O. leader Richard Trumka and his deputy chief of staff.

— vanityfair.com, "Trump Dissolves Advisory Councils Before C.E.O.s Can Quit," 16 Aug. 2017
While reviewing news footage of the crash site, the deputy spotted a license plate, Botti said.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Signs of missing San Diego couple found near fatal crash," 14 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of deputy

Middle English, from Anglo-French deputé, past participle of deputer

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

deputy Synonyms

Synonyms

assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, agent, envoy, factor, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, representative

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

DEPUTY Defined for Kids

deputy

noun dep·u·ty \ ˈde-pyə-tē \

Definition of deputy for Students

plural deputies

:a person who officially acts for or in place of another

Law Dictionary

deputy

noun dep·u·ty \ ˈde-pyə-tē \

legal Definition of deputy

plural deputies

1 :a person appointed as a substitute with power to act

2 :a second in command or assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent; specifically :deputy sheriff

Origin and Etymology of deputy

Middle French deputé person appointed to exercise authority, from past participle of deputer to appoint, depute

Learn More about deputy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for deputy Spanish Central: Translation of deputy Nglish: Translation of deputy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of deputy for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up deputy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

deputy

Definition of deputy

From the M-W Editors

Examples of deputy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of deputy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of deputy

deputy Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Government and Politics Terms

DEPUTY Defined for Kids

deputy

Definition of deputy for Students

Law Dictionary

deputy

legal Definition of deputy

Origin and Etymology of deputy

Learn More about deputy

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066