What does proxy mean?
A proxy is someone or something that acts on behalf of another person, organization, or system. In legal and corporate settings, a proxy is a person appointed to represent another, usually for voting at a meeting or exercising specified rights. A proxy vote and a proxy statement are common examples. In computing, a proxy is an intermediary: a proxy server receives requests from clients and forwards them to another server, often for privacy, security, caching, or network control. More broadly, the word can suggest a substitute or intermediary, though it is often more specific than the general word “representative.” Its range of uses—from legal authorization to internet infrastructure—makes it a useful word for describing delegated action and intermediary systems. The term is standard in both British and American English, with pronunciation varying slightly according to regional vowel sounds.
A person authorized to act on behalf of someone else, especially in voting or legal matters.
"The director appointed a proxy to represent the company at the meeting."
Common in legal, corporate, and shareholder contexts.
To act or vote on behalf of another person or organization.
"Members may proxy another member to cast their vote."
This use is especially associated with meetings, voting, and formal representation.
Acting as an intermediary or substitute for another person or system.
"Employees may connect to the internet through a proxy server."
The adjective is usually used attributively in established compounds such as “proxy vote,” “proxy statement,” and “proxy server.”
The standard plural is “proxies.”
"The organization appointed two proxies to represent absent shareholders."
From a word meaning “near neighbor,” a proxy became someone who acted nearby on another person’s behalf.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does proxy come from?
The word comes through Latin from the root prox, meaning “near,” and ultimately relates to the same source as words such as “proximity,” “proximate,” and “approximate.” In its development, the sense broadened from an intermediary or person acting nearby on another’s behalf to modern legal, financial, and computing applications. The modern computing sense developed much later from the established idea of an intermediary or substitute.
How proxy is actually used
In legal and business contexts, a proxy generally means a person authorized to represent another, especially in voting. In computing, “proxy” commonly refers to an intermediary service or server. The word is also used attributively, as in “proxy vote” and “proxy server.”