deputy

B2 Topic:People & Society

Also spelled depite and depity

US /ˈdɛpjəti/ UK /ˈdɛpjəti/ See IPA manual

Freq #3169

Meanings

1

noun
A person whose rank is just below the leader and who can act for them.

While the manager was away, her deputy ran the office.
2

noun
A police officer who works for a county sheriff in the United States.

The sheriff's deputies took the suspect into custody.
3

noun
A member of parliament or a legislature in some countries.

The Russian Duma is made up of 450 deputies.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person whose rank is just... delegate lieutenant representative surrogate

2 noun · a police officer who works... deputy sheriff

More agent emissary envoy legate proxy secondary substitute

Opposites

client principal

Word family

Forms deputies

Derived forms deputisedeputizedeputyshipeurodeputy

Related forms vice-

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

deputy chief
the second-highest-ranking leader in an organization

Adjective + noun
deputy sheriff
an officer authorized to carry out duties on behalf of a sheriff

Noun + noun

Etymology

From French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”).

*pewH- Proto-Indo-European député French deputatus la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# deputy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛpjəti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛpjəti/
**Frequency rank:** 3169

## Meanings
1. A person whose rank is just below the leader and who can act for them.
2. A police officer who works for a county sheriff in the United States.
3. A member of parliament or a legislature in some countries.

## Examples
- While the manager was away, her deputy ran the office.
- The sheriff's deputies took the suspect into custody.
- The Russian Duma is made up of 450 deputies.

## Synonyms
- agent
- delegate
- emissary
- envoy
- legate
- lieutenant
- proxy
- representative
- secondary
- substitute
- surrogate

## Antonyms
- client
- principal

## Derived Forms
- deputise
- deputize
- deputyship
- eurodeputy

## Related Forms
- vice-

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *pewH-
- Root: député
- Root: deputatus

## Etymology
From French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”).

## AI Etymology
deputy comes from French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *pewH-, French député, la-lat deputatus. Current senses include A person whose rank is just below the leader and who can act for them and A police officer who works for a county sheriff in the United States. English relatives and later formations include deputise, deputize, deputyship, vice-.

## Topics
- People & Society

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