del|e|gate

del|e|gate «noun. DEHL uh giht, -gayt; verb. DEHL uh gayt», noun, verb, -gat|ed, -gat|ing.

–n.

1. a person given power or authority to act for others; representative: »

Our club sent two delegates to the state meeting. The three Moroccan delegates to the former sultan of Morocco…returned to Paris by air this morning (London Times).

SYNONYM(S): deputy.

2. a representative of a territory in the U.S. House of Representatives who has a seat and the right to speak but no vote.

3. a member of the lower branch of the legislature (House of Delegates) in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

–v.t.

1. to appoint or send (a person) as a representative: »

Each club delegated one member to attend the state meeting. The children delegated her to buy the flowers.

SYNONYM(S): depute.

2. to give over (one's power or authority) to another so that he may act for one: »

The teacher delegated the task of keeping order to the biggest boy in class. The states delegated the control of foreign affairs to the federal government.

3. Law. to assign (one's own debtor) to a creditor to replace oneself as a debtor.

–v.i.

to give over power or authority: »

A terrorist…must delegate to a rather sanguinary and unscrupulous class of subordinate (John Kenneth Galbraith).

╂[< Latin dēlēgātus, past participle of dēlēgāre < dē- + lēgāre send (with a commission) < lēx, lēgis law]