deputy
noun
dep·u·ty
ˈde-pyə-tē 
plural deputies
often attributive
1
a
: a person appointed as a substitute with power to act
b
: a second in command or assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent
2
: a member of the lower house of some legislative assemblies
Synonyms
Examples of deputy in a Sentence
the club president sent a deputy to the conference to vote on our behalf
a deputy supervisor to help out with routine tasks
Recent Examples on the Web
Hager finished his 35-year military career as deputy commanding general for operations, Cyber National Mission Force and mobilization assistant to the commander for USCYBERCOM.
—
Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Firefighters and sheriff's deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
By early August, Kim Jong-sik, deputy director of North Korea's munitions department had visited a KN-23 missile launch site near the Russia-Ukraine front with North Korean military officers, the NIS added, according to a translation.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation, with upward of 3,000 employees, including deputies, jail guards and civilians.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deputy 
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Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Firefighters and sheriff's deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
By early August, Kim Jong-sik, deputy director of North Korea's munitions department had visited a KN-23 missile launch site near the Russia-Ukraine front with North Korean military officers, the NIS added, according to a translation.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation, with upward of 3,000 employees, including deputies, jail guards and civilians.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deputy
Dictionary Entries Near deputy
Cite this Entry
“Deputy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deputy. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deputy
noun
dep·u·ty
ˈdep-yət-ē
plural deputies
1
: a person appointed to act for or in place of another
2
: an assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent
deputy
adjective
Legal Definition
deputy
noun
dep·u·ty
ˈde-pyə-tē
plural deputies
1
: a person appointed as a substitute with power to act
2
: a second in command or assistant who usually takes charge when his or her superior is absent
specifically
: deputy sheriff
Etymology
Middle French deputé person appointed to exercise authority, from past participle of deputer to appoint, depute
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