# delegate

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdɛlɪɡət/ · frequency rank #11,197

## Definitions
1. A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.
2. A representative at a conference, etc.
3. An appointed representative in some legislative bodies.
4. A type of variable storing a reference to a method with a particular signature, analogous to a function pointer.
5. A member of a governmental legislature who lacks voting power.

## Etymology
From Middle English delegat, from Old French delegat, from Latin dēlēgātus substantivized from the nominative masculine singular of dēlēgātus, the perfect passive participle of dēlēgō (“to send, assign, delegate”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix). See also legate.

## Easily confused with
- **delete** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delegate-vs-delete)
- **delicate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delegate-vs-delicate)
- **delegated** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delegate-vs-delegated)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddelegate`, `deelgate`, `deleagte`, `delegaet`, `delegatte`, `deleggate`, `delegtae`, `delgeate`, `dellegate`, `dleegate`, `edlegate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/delegate