Synonyms of delegation
1
: the act of empowering to act for another
the delegation of responsibilities
2
: a group of persons chosen to represent others
the state's congressional delegation

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What Is a delegation?

The task of a delegation—each member of which can be called a delegate—is to represent a larger group, often at a conference. Thus, a delegation of nondoctors to a medical convention may want to make sure the rights and needs of patients aren't ignored, just as a delegation of laypeople may attend a religious conference to express the concerns of other laypeople.

Examples of delegation in a Sentence

He's been chosen to lead the delegation to the conference. a delegation from the local scout troop is being sent to the national jamboree
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The policy semantics and how a mandate propagates once delegation turns multi-hop, machine-initiated and cross-organizational remain implementation problems. Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 And Erin Browne, treasury undersecretary for international affairs, said Monday the delegation was invited because Russia is a member of the G20. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 Japan sends a large delegation of stars led by Nagasawa Masami, including Emoto Tasuku, Ishibashi Shizuka, Kuroki Haru, Yokohama Ryusei, Yamazaki Kento, Matsushita Kouhei, Sawajiri Erika, Maruyama Ryuhei and Nagayama Eita. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 Thousands of homes were destroyed by the disaster, David Fisher, the Nepal delegation head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told reporters in Geneva on Friday. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delegation

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French delegacion "transmission, act of delegating," borrowed from Late Latin dēlēgātiōn-, dēlēgātiō "mandate, authority," going back to Latin, "assignment to a third party of the interest in or liability for a debt," from dēlēgāre "to assign (someone to a task), appoint, put in charge (of), entrust, transfer ownership (to)" + -tiōn-, tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at delegate entry 2

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of delegation was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Delegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delegation. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

delegation

noun
1
: the act of delegating power or authority to another
2
: one or more persons chosen to represent others

Legal Definition

delegation

noun
1
: the act of delegating
2
: a group of persons chosen to represent others
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