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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Delegate: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：representative (delegate)

delegate 🔊

/ˈdɛlɪɡət/

a person chosen by others to attend a meeting or make decisions for them.

Delegate speaking at a conference, representing others as a noun.

representative 🔊

➕

/rɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv/

A person appointed or elected to represent others, especially at a formal meeting or conference.

📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'delegare' meaning 'to send away' (de- away + legare to send).

💡 Mnemonic

DELEGATE: a person DELEGated to GATEkeep interests for a group.

📖 Example

Our company sent a delegate to the international climate conference to share our environmental initiatives. 🔊 Our company dispatched a representative to the international climate conference to present our environmental initiatives.

🔗 Collocations

official delegate – a formally appointed representative

chief delegate – the head representative of a group

conference delegate – a participant representing an organization at a conference

🔄 Synonyms

representative (n.) – a person who acts or speaks on behalf of another or others

envoy (n.) – a messenger or representative, especially on a diplomatic mission

commissioner (n.) – a person appointed to a role of authority, especially in a public body

🚫 Antonyms

constituent (n.) – a member of a group represented by a delegate

🌱 Derivatives

delegation (n.) – a group of representatives or the act of delegating

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'delegare', used in Roman law and politics. In modern English, it's key in formal assemblies like the UN General Assembly where delegates represent national interests.

Meaning 2：entrust tasks (delegate)

delegate 🔊

/ˈdɛlɪɡət/

to give a task or responsibility to someone else, especially someone who works for you.

Manager delegating tasks to a colleague, showing verb meaning.

entrust tasks 🔊

➕

/ɪnˈtrʌst tæsks/

To assign responsibility or authority for a specific task to another person, typically a subordinate.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

A good manager knows how to delegate tasks effectively to team members based on their strengths. 🔊 An effective manager understands how to entrust tasks efficiently to team members according to their capabilities.

🔗 Collocations

delegate authority – to grant decision-making power to someone else

delegate responsibility – to assign a duty or obligation to another person

learn to delegate – to develop the skill of assigning work to others

🔄 Synonyms

assign (v.) – to allocate a task or duty to someone

entrust (v.) – to give someone responsibility for something important

devolve (v.) – to transfer power or duties to a lower level

🚫 Antonyms

retain (v.) – to continue to hold or keep control of something

handle personally () – to manage or deal with a task by oneself

🌱 Derivatives

delegation (n.) – the act of delegating or a group of delegates