What does deputation mean?
A deputation is a group of people chosen to act on behalf of a larger body, typically sent to present a petition, voice a grievance, or conduct negotiations with an authority. The word also denotes the act itself: the formal appointment of someone to serve as a representative. Deputation belongs to a formal register and appears most often in political, diplomatic, civic, and historical writing — a deputation of striking workers might meet a government minister, or a church body might send a deputation to Rome. The word derives from Latin deputare, 'to assign or allot', the same root that gives us deputy and deputize. In contemporary American English, 'delegation' has largely displaced it in everyday speech, but it remains current in British usage and wherever an air of official ceremony is intended. Its endurance reflects a long tradition of collective representation: rather than speaking alone, a community sends a deputation so its message arrives with shared weight.
A group of people appointed to act or speak on behalf of others, especially in presenting a request or case to an authority.
"The university sent a deputation of senior scholars to argue against the proposed funding cuts."
Usually takes the prepositions 'of' (a deputation of residents) and verbs like 'meet', 'receive', 'send', or 'lead'.
The act of appointing a person as one's agent or representative; formal delegation of authority.
"The duties were performed by deputation during the commissioner's absence abroad."
Now rare and chiefly legal or administrative; usually phrased 'by deputation'.
Regular plural; used when referring to more than one such group or instance of delegation.
"Over the winter, ministers received deputations from nearly every affected industry."
When an angry Victorian mob wanted to reach the authorities, they didn't tweet — they formed a deputation and marched to the minister's door.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deputation
Deputation comes from Latin deputare, meaning 'to cut off, allot, or assign', formed from the prefix de- ('away') and putare ('to reckon or consider'), and entered English via medieval Latin deputatio in the late Middle Ages. The word shares its root with deputy, depute, and deputize, all conveying the idea of assigning someone to act in another's place. It has carried both its senses — the group of delegates and the act of delegation — since early modern English.
Related word forms
How deputation is actually used
Deputation carries a distinctly formal register and is notably more common in British than American English. In everyday American usage, 'delegation' is strongly preferred for the group sense, while deputation survives mainly in official, diplomatic, ecclesiastical, and historical contexts. The second sense (the act of deputizing) is rare today and largely confined to legal and administrative writing.
Easily confused with deputation
Depletion means the act of using up or emptying a supply, while deputation refers to a group of representatives or the act of delegating authority.
Deportation is the forced removal of a person from a country, whereas deputation involves representatives sent on behalf of others.