deputy
B2Formal, Official, Professional
Definition
Meaning
A person appointed or authorized to act for another, especially in an official role; a second-in-command.
An assistant with delegated authority, a representative, or a substitute; can also denote the title of certain elected officials in local government.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a temporary or delegated authority, not necessarily a permanent position of equal standing. The role is defined by acting 'in place of' a superior.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the US, 'deputy' is strongly associated with law enforcement (Deputy Sheriff). In UK politics, 'Deputy Prime Minister' is a formal title, whereas in the US 'Vice President' is used. In UK local government, 'deputy' is a common title for a council member's assistant.
Connotations
UK: Often formal, bureaucratic, or political. US: Strongly associated with law enforcement and a sense of official, localized authority.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to its widespread use in law enforcement job titles.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
deputy to [person/role]deputy for [person/role]deputy of [organization]deputy in [department/area]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “by deputy (acting through a substitute)”
- “deputy dog (slang, from cartoon character)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
She was promoted to deputy CEO, overseeing all European operations.
Academic
The research was conducted by the deputy head of the laboratory.
Everyday
I'll be out of the office tomorrow, so my deputy will handle your query.
Technical
The deputy governor of the central bank announced new monetary policy measures.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Rare/archaic) He will depute his authority to the committee.
American English
- (Rare/archaic) The manager deputed the task to his assistant.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard) The role was performed deputy.
American English
- (Not standard) He acted deputy to the warden.
adjective
British English
- She holds the deputy chair.
- He is the deputy head teacher.
American English
- He ran for the deputy sheriff position.
- She attended as the deputy director.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My teacher is ill, so a deputy teacher is here today.
- The shop manager has a deputy.
- When the boss is away, her deputy makes all the decisions.
- He works as a deputy in a large company.
- The deputy mayor announced new plans for the city centre.
- She was appointed deputy director of the project last week.
- Acting in his capacity as deputy to the ambassador, he signed the provisional agreement.
- The committee's findings were presented by its deputy chair, who highlighted several procedural shortcomings.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'DE-PUT-y' - Someone you DElegate and PUT in charge temporarilY.
Conceptual Metaphor
A deputy is a SHADOW (acts in place of, less authority) or a HINGE (connects the authority to the action).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'заместитель' for all contexts; for law enforcement, 'deputy sheriff' is a specific role, not a generic 'заместитель шерифа' in Russian conceptual understanding.
- In political contexts, 'Vice President' is not a 'deputy'; be mindful of the specific title.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'vice' and 'deputy' interchangeably (vice is higher/more formal, e.g., Vice President).
- Saying 'deputy of me' instead of 'deputy for me' or 'my deputy'.
- Confusing 'deputy' with 'representative' where no substitution of authority is involved.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'deputy' most specifically associated with American English usage?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Vice' (from Latin 'vicis' for 'in place of') often denotes a higher, more formal, and constitutionally defined second-in-command role (e.g., Vice President). 'Deputy' is generally broader, used for delegated authority at various levels, often temporary or appointed.
The verb form is historically 'depute' (to delegate), but it is now rare and formal. The noun 'deputy' is almost never used as a verb in modern English.
Primarily yes. In very rare, technical, or legal contexts, an entity (like a committee) could be a deputy, but it overwhelmingly refers to a person acting for another.
Use 'to' when specifying the superior role/person: 'deputy to the manager'. Use 'for' when indicating the area of substitution: 'deputy for the southern region'. 'Of' is used with the organization: 'deputy of the company'.
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