deputy

/ˈdepjuti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdepjuti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈde-pyə-tē/ (ame, mw)

deputy — noun

  • deputysingular
  • deputiesplural

1. a person who has the authority to carry out the duties of someone in a higher po

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person who has the authority to carry out the duties of someone in a higher position when that person is away, or who holds the rank immediately below the head of an organization

例句

Sirin will act as deputy manager while her boss recovers from surgery.

When the chief executive retired, her deputy took over the day-to-day running of the company.

possessive pattern: 'her/his deputy' showing ownership of the role

同義詞
  • assistant

    a helper who supports a senior person but may not have the authority to replace them fully

  • second-in-command

    emphasises rank in a hierarchy, common in military and emergency services

  • substitute

    focuses on temporary replacement rather than an ongoing rank

  • vice-

    a prefix used in corporate titles (vice-president); equivalent to deputy in many contexts

反義詞
  • chief

    the person who holds the top position that a deputy fills in for

  • superior

    the higher-ranking person whose authority the deputy exercises when needed

用法筆記

Frequently followed by the name of the senior role (deputy manager, deputy director, deputy head). In law enforcement, deputy alone (without a role name) can refer to a deputy sheriff. The superior is typically mentioned with a possessive: the president's deputy.

常見錯誤

❌She is the deputy of the company.
✅She is the deputy director of the company.
💡deputy is usually followed by the senior role title, not used alone with 'of'.
❌He is a deputy for his boss.
✅He acts as deputy for his boss.
💡use 'act as deputy' or 'serve as deputy' for temporary substitution.

2. in some countries, an elected person who serves in the lower of the two chambers

2.名詞C1
釋義

in some countries, an elected person who serves in the lower of the two chambers of the national parliament

例句

Lan was elected as a deputy in the French National Assembly last year.

elected as a deputy — common electoral context

Each deputy elected to the Spanish Congress serves a four-year term.

同義詞
  • representative

    a broader term for any elected legislator, used in many English-speaking countries

  • member of parliament

    the standard term in the UK and Commonwealth countries

  • legislator

    formal term for any law-making official, not specific to lower houses

用法筆記

Specific to countries that use deputy as the official title for members of their lower legislative house — notably France (député), Spain (diputado), Italy (deputato), and Germany (Abgeordneter). Do not use this sense for the UK House of Commons (MP) or the US House of Representatives (Representative or Congressman).

常見錯誤

❌She was elected as a deputy in the UK Parliament.
✅She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the UK.
💡the UK uses 'MP', not 'deputy', for ordinary members.
❌He is a deputy in the US Congress.
✅He is a Representative in the US Congress.
💡the US uses 'Representative' or 'Congressman', not 'deputy'.