delegate 1 of 2

noun

ˈde-li-gət How to pronounce delegate (audio)
Definition of delegatenext
1
as in ambassador
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in representative
a person who acts or does business for another the real estate developer sent a delegate to the town meeting to represent his interests

Synonyms & Similar Words

delegate

2 of 2

verb

ˈde-li-ˌgāt How to pronounce delegate (audio)
1
as in to appoint
to appoint as one's representative he delegated his son to go pick up the tickets for him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another a manager who is reluctant to delegate authority to subordinates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delegate
Noun
Its members included farmers, laborers, and reformers, and delegates included representatives from local unions and labor bodies. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Under new rules approved by the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, the DNC would not seat any of a rogue state’s delegates to the national convention and impose a $270,000 fine. — Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
Critics of consolidating pretrial under probation units say that law enforcement officers should not be delegated to deal with presumably innocent clients. — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 All coaches delegate responsibility to some degree, and so will Harris. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delegate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delegate
  1. ambassador
  2. representative
  3. appoint
  4. hand
  5. envoy
  6. deputy
  7. deputize
  8. leave
Noun
  • Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz are ambassadors for Oura, the USTA’s first official wearable partner.
    — Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The elder Dean was one of college basketball’s great ambassadors, working for Converse from 1959-87 while becoming the SEC’s signature television voice.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • Hutton said Calumet College regularly sends representatives to the school to monitor it, including its governance system and academic programs.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Fifty-one contestants — one representative from each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia — vied for the crown.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of representative
Verb
  • Licata and Fort Worth ISD’s Board of Managers implemented the Elevate model for the district’s most struggling campuses shortly after they were appointed to their jobs by the Texas Education Agency as part of its takeover of the district.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • To respect constitutional separation of powers and separation of executive authority, dedicated inspectors general would be appointed in the commission to investigate specific executive branches and the legislature.
    — Collin Corbett, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of appoint
Verb
  • In addition, Pitarch has been handed an improved contract and is now considered a first-team player, despite retaining a Castilla squad number.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Days after the government reopened, the department signed agreements handing billions in grant programs to other federal agencies.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hand
Noun
  • Ten years ago, Frank Lowenstein, then the United States special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, presented President Barack Obama with maps of settlements by Israeli Jews in the occupied West Bank.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Former Vice President Mike Pence and ex-special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg were also in Kyiv for meetings.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • Prince was able to free the ATV and accelerated toward the deputy, striking him and knocking him to the ground.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Hubble and Webb both have coronagraphs, but Roman’s experimental instrument is 100 to 1,000 times better than any built before, said Bertrand Mennesson, Roman deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of deputy
Verb
  • On August 12, a new Presidential Memorandum authorized the federal government to deputize vetted private corporations to conduct activities in support of law enforcement operations against cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The agency is proposing to subsidize liability insurance for state and local officers who are trained and deputized to enforce federal immigration laws, according to a planning document published Friday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of deputize
Verb
  • First, the power goes out, leaving Bret wandering the halls as lights flicker around him.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Top Gear has not been on air since 2022, but a return was always likely, given the BBC Studios franchise is too big to leave in the garage.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of leave

Browse Nearby Words

delegacy
delegate
delegated
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Cite this Entry

“Delegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delegate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on delegate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about delegate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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