delegate
gb/dˈɛləɡɪt/ us/dˈɛləɡɪt/
B1
English
~ 3500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
Give responsibility to another
To ask or choose someone else to do a job or task for you.
Usage pattern:
to delegate [task] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'delegate' (verb) with 'relegate', which means to move someone or something to a lower position or status.
Synonyms
assign (More general; can refer to giving any task or role, not just passing down authority.)
|
entrust (Implies giving responsibility with trust or confidence.)
Antonyms
retain (To keep the responsibility or task for oneself instead of giving it to someone else.)
Collocations
delegate authority
|delegate responsibility
|delegate tasks
|delegate work
|delegate decision-making
Themes
business
|management
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The manager delegated the report writing to her assistant.
- As a team leader, you should delegate tasks effectively.
- He delegated the negotiations to a more experienced colleague.
- The CEO delegated much of the daily work to the department heads.
Learner examples
- I delegated the cleaning to my brother.
- She delegated the cooking to her friend.
- The teacher delegated the project to the students.
- We delegated shopping to John.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Person representing others
Someone who is sent to speak or act for other people in a meeting.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'delegate' (noun) with 'delegation', which refers to the group as a whole, not an individual member.
Synonyms
representative (General term for someone who acts on behalf of others; not limited to formal events.)
|
envoy (Usually refers to an official messenger or representative, often in diplomacy.)
Antonyms
constituent (A person who is represented by a delegate rather than doing the representing.)
Collocations
conference delegate
|party delegate
|official delegate
|delegates from [country]
Themes
politics
|business
|events
|communication
Examples
- Each state sends several delegates to the national convention.
- Delegates from over 50 countries attended the summit.
- The delegate spoke on behalf of her community.
- As a delegate, he voted in favor of the proposal.
Learner examples
- The delegate came from France.
- Many delegates met in the big hall.
- The delegate talked for his group.
- Delegates voted for the new plan.
Grammar
Dictionary form
delegate
IPA
GB/dˈɛləɡɪt/
US/dˈɛləɡɪt/
Syllables & stress
del - eg - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (del)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: delegate
- Plural: delegates
Verb
- Base: delegate
- 3rd Person Singular: delegates
- Present Participle: delegating
- Past: delegated
Word family
Forms
delegates
noun
delegating
verb
delegated
verb
Core family
delegation
noun B1
Related words
delegator
noun
Expressions
delegate authority
1/dˈɛləɡɪt əθˈɔɹɪti/
fixed phrase
Give decision-making power
To let another person make decisions instead of you.
Examples
- A good manager knows when to delegate authority to their team.
- The board delegated authority to the finance committee.
delegate responsibility
1/dˈɛləɡɪt ɹispˌɑnsɪbˈɪləti/
fixed phrase
Give duty to another person
To ask or choose another person to take care of a duty instead of you doing it.
Examples
- He delegated responsibility for the project to his deputy.
- You can't just delegate responsibility and walk away.
delegate tasks
1/dˈɛləɡɪt tˈæsks/
fixed phrase
Give jobs to others
To give different jobs to other people so you don't do them all yourself.
Examples
- She learned how to delegate tasks effectively during busy periods.
- Delegating tasks can help reduce stress.