Word of the Day

: June 9, 2010

delegate

verb DEL-uh-gayt

What It Means

1 : to entrust to another

2 : to appoint as one's representative

3 : to assign responsibility or authority

delegate in Context

In order to get everything done on time, the committee leader chose to delegate some of the minor tasks to junior members.

Did You Know?

To "delegate" is literally or figuratively to send another in one's place, an idea that is reflected in the word’s origin; it is a descendant of Latin "legare," meaning "to send as an emissary." Other English words that can be traced back to "legare" include "legate" ("a usually official emissary"), "legacy," "colleague," and "relegate." The noun "delegate," meaning "a person acting for another," entered English in the 15th century, followed by the verb in the next century.