del·e·gate • n. / ˈdeligit/ a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference. ∎  a member of a committee.• v. / ˈdeləˌgāt/ [tr.] entrust (a task or responsibility) to another person, typically one less senior than oneself: the power delegated to him. ∎  [tr.] send or authorize (someone) to do something as a representative.DERIVATIVES: del·e·ga·ble / -gəbəl/ adj.del·e·ga·tor / -ˌgātər/ n.

delegate person chosen to act for another. XIV. — L. dēlēgātus, pp. of dēlēgāre, f. DE- 2 + lēgāre send on a commission (cf. LEGATE).
Hence delegacy delegation XV; body of delegates XVII. So delegate entrust to another XVI; commission XVII. f. pp. stem of the above vb.; see -ATE 3. delegation XVII. — L.

DELEGATE

A person who is appointed, authorized, delegated, or commissioned to act in the place of another. Transfer of authority from one to another. A person to whom affairs are committed by another.

A person elected or appointed to be a member of a representative assembly. Usually spoken of one sent to a special or occasional assembly or convention. Person selected by a constituency and authorized to act for it at a party or state political convention.

As a verb, it means to transfer authority from one person to another; to empower one to perform a task in behalf of another, e.g., a landlord may delegate an agent to collect rents.