plural delegates
: a person who is chosen or elected to vote or act for others : representative
the U.N. delegates from African countries
He's been chosen as a delegate to the convention.
delegates; delegated; delegating
1
: to give (control, responsibility, authority, etc.) to someone : to trust someone with (a job, duty, etc.)
A manager should delegate authority to the best employees.
Those chores can be delegated to someone else.
He doesn't delegate very well.
2
: to choose (someone) to do something
—often used as (be) delegated
He was delegated by the town to take care of the monument.
Cite this Entry
“Delegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/delegate. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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