# deputy

Pronunciation: say "DEP-yuh-tee" /ˈdɛpjəti/

## Noun

1. A person appointed to act as a substitute for others, empowered to act in their name or on their behalf.
   - Simple: A person who is chosen to act for someone else and make decisions in their place.
   - _The director's deputy chaired the meeting in her absence._
   - _Each department head appoints a deputy to make decisions when the head is unavailable._
2. A sworn law enforcement officer of a county sheriff's office; used as a rank, it is usually the starting one. *(US)*
   - Simple: A police officer who works for a county sheriff.
   - _The sheriff sent a deputy to investigate the break-in at the ranch._
   - _She was sworn in as a deputy after finishing the training academy._
3. A member of a parliament or its lower house in certain countries, such as France, Ireland, Spain, or Mexico; also used as a title for such a member.
   - Simple: A member of the parliament in some countries, such as France or Ireland.
   - _Each deputy in the chamber represents a single electoral district._
   - _Opposition deputies walked out of the session during the budget vote._

## Verb

4. To act as a deputy for someone, or to appoint a person to act in that role. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: To stand in for someone, or to choose a person to act in your place.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A worker employed in a mine to install and remove props and brattices (partitions that direct the air), and to clear gas for the safety of the miners.

## Origin

From French député, which comes from Late Latin deputatus meaning "appointed."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/deputy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).