Delegate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈde-li-gət/ (noun) /ˈde-li-ˌgāt/ (verb) del·e·gate

Meaning & Definition of Delegate

Delegate (noun)

  1. a person acting for another
  2. a representative to a convention or conference
  3. a representative of a U.S. territory in the House of Representatives

Delegate (verb)

  1. to entrust to another
  2. to appoint as one's representative
  3. to assign responsibility or authority

Delegate (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person sent on a mission to represent another

    "the delegate had a list of concerns to discuss with the country's new prime minister"

    similar: agent, ambassador, emissary, envoy, legate, minister, representative
    related: ambassadress, attaché, chargé d'affaires, consul, deputy, diplomat, foreign minister, nuncio, procurator, proxy, apostle, evangelist, missionary, deputation, detachment, legation, courier, messenger, mouthpiece, spokesperson

  2. a person who acts or does business for another

    "the real estate developer sent a delegate to the town meeting to represent his interests"

    similar: agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, deputy, envoy, factor, minister, procurator, proxy, rep, representative
    related: ambassador, diplomat, diplomatist, emissary, foreign minister, legate, plenipotentiary, alternate, backup, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, stand-in, sub, substitute, surrogate, understudy, informer, operative, spy, broker, distributor, manager, arbiter, arbitrator, comprador, conciliator, go-between, intercessor, intermediary, interposer, liaison, mediator, middleman, peacemaker, mouthpiece, point man, point person, prophet, speaker, spokesman, spokesperson

Delegate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to appoint as one's representative

    "he delegated his son to go pick up the tickets for him"

    similar: commission, depute, deputize
    related: assign, charge, appoint, designate, name, nominate
    near: abrogate, abdicate

  2. to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another

    "a manager who is reluctant to delegate authority to subordinates"

    similar: commend, commit, confide, consign, deliver, entrust, give, give over, hand, hand over, leave, pass, recommend, repose, transfer, transmit, trust, turn over, vest
    related: confer, grant, assign, deal (out), dispense, disperse, distribute, divide, hand in, release, relinquish, submit, surrender, turn in, yield, bequeath, hand down, hand on, will, advance, lend, loan, furnish, supply, recommit, redeliver, retransfer, retransmit
    opposite: hold, keep, retain
    near: detain, hold back, reserve, withhold, own, possess, accept, receive, take in, occupy, take, take over

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Delegate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Delegate:

agent, ambassador, emissary, envoy, legate, minister, representative, assignee, attorney, commissary, deputy, factor, procurator, proxy, rep, commission, depute, deputize, commend, commit, confide, consign, deliver, entrust, give, give over, hand, hand over, leave, pass, recommend, repose, transfer, transmit, trust, turn over, vest

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Delegate

Words with the opposite meaning of Delegate:

hold, keep, retain

Related Words for Delegate

ambassadress, attaché, chargé d'affaires, consul, diplomat, foreign minister, nuncio, apostle, evangelist, missionary, deputation, detachment, legation, courier, messenger, mouthpiece, spokesperson, diplomatist, plenipotentiary, alternate, backup, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, stand-in, sub, substitute, surrogate, understudy, informer

Near Antonyms of Delegate

abrogate, abdicate, detain, hold back, reserve, withhold, own, possess, accept, receive, take in, occupy, take, take over

Word Forms of Delegate

Inflections: delegated, delegating

Derived words: delegatee (noun), delegator (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Delegate

Middle English delegat "papal legate," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin dēlēgātus "representative," noun derivative from past participle of Latin dēlēgāre "to assign (someone to a task), appoint" delegate:2

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Delegate

Words & Phrases Containing Delegate

apostolic delegate, walking delegate

Frequently Asked Questions about Delegate

What does "Delegate" mean?

"Delegate" means a person acting for another. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a person acting for another. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Delegate"?

Other words for "Delegate" include agent, ambassador, emissary, envoy, legate, minister, representative and assignee. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Delegate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Delegate"?

There are 122 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Delegate". Common alternatives include agent, ambassador, emissary, envoy, legate, minister, representative, assignee, attorney and commissary.

What is the opposite of "Delegate"?

Antonyms of "Delegate" include hold, keep and retain. Near antonyms include abrogate, abdicate, detain and hold back.

How do you use "Delegate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Delegate" in a sentence: "the delegate had a list of concerns to discuss with the country's new prime minister"; "the real estate developer sent a delegate to the town meeting to represent his interests"; "he delegated his son to go pick up the tickets for him".

Is "Delegate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Delegate" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Delegate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Delegate" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Delegate"?

"Delegate" is pronounced /ˈde-li-gət/ as a noun and /ˈde-li-ˌgāt/ as a verb and divided into syllables as del·e·gate.