deputation

/ˌdepjuˈteɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdepjuˈteɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌde-pyə-ˈtā-shən/ (ame, mw)

deputation — 名詞

  • deputationsingular
  • deputationsplural

1. a few people picked to meet with someone in power, speaking for a larger group a

1.名詞C1
釋義

代表團

代表大群體向有權者陳情的小組

a few people picked to meet with someone in power, speaking for a larger group and usually asking for help or raising a problem

例句

A deputation of farmers visited the minister to protest the new water restrictions.

一個由農民組成的代表團拜會部長，抗議新的用水限制。

a deputation of + group + visit + authority figure

Élise led a deputation from the residents' committee to the city hall last Thursday.

上週四，Élise 帶領居民委員會的陳情團前往市政廳。

led a deputation from [organization] to [target]

同義詞
  • delegation

    much more common in modern English; deputation sounds older and more formal

  • mission

    broader; can include diplomatic or religious purpose, not just petitioning

  • embassy

    now almost always means the diplomatic building, not the group of envoys

文法句型

a deputation of [people]

a deputation from [organization]

send a deputation to [target]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a representative group acting for a larger body; the verb is often plural even though 'deputation' is grammatically singular ('a deputation of farmers were waiting').

常見錯誤

❌I sent a deputation to the meeting yesterday' (one person).
✅I went as a representative to the meeting yesterday.
💡a deputation is a GROUP, not a single delegate.

2. the action of giving one of your duties or powers to another person so that they

2.名詞C2
釋義

委任代理

把職責或權力交給他人代為執行的行為

the action of giving one of your duties or powers to another person so that they can carry it out in your place

例句

The mayor argued that careful deputation of routine tasks freed her time for major policy decisions.

市長認為，把例行事務妥善委任代理出去，能讓她有更多時間處理重大政策。

deputation of [tasks] + frees time for + bigger work

Roman magistrates often handled provincial disputes by deputation rather than travelling there in person.

羅馬的官員處理行省糾紛時，常透過委任代理而非親自前往。

by deputation: handle [task] through an appointed substitute

同義詞
  • delegation

    by far the more common word for this idea today

  • assignment

    broader: any handing-out of duties, not specifically passing them to a substitute

  • commissioning

    more formal; emphasises an official charge or authorisation

反義詞
  • retention

    keeping the duty oneself rather than passing it on

文法句型

the deputation of [duty/power] to [someone]

by deputation

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (the group): this sense is the act itself and is uncountable. 'Delegation' has largely replaced this word in everyday modern use; you mostly meet sense 2 in historical, legal, or church writing.

常見錯誤

❌A deputation arrived from the manager to handle my case' (meaning an appointed person).
✅A deputy arrived from the manager to handle my case.
💡sense 2 names the ACT of appointing, not the appointed person.