die Delegation, -en

Meaning in English

Delegation refers to:

1. A group of representatives sent to represent an organization, institution, or country (e.g., at a conference, negotiations, or an official visit).
2. The act of delegating tasks or authority to someone else (often used in administrative or organizational contexts).

Parts / Word formation

• delegieren (verb) = to delegate
• die Delegation (noun) = delegation
• The word is a Latin-based loanword and is used similarly in German and English.

German synonyms

Meaning 1 (group of representatives):

• Abordnung
• Vertretung
• Gesandtschaft (more formal/diplomatic)
• Delegiertengruppe (descriptive)

Meaning 2 (act of delegating):

• Übertragung (von Aufgaben/Befugnissen)
• Aufgabenübertragung
• Bevollmächtigung (focuses on granting authority)

German antonyms (where applicable)

Meaning 2 (act of delegating):

• Selbst erledigen / Selbstübernahme (doing it oneself)
• Zentralisierung (opposite idea: keeping authority/tasks centralized)
• Eigenverantwortung (in contexts where tasks are not passed on)

(For the “group of representatives” sense, there isn’t a single fixed opposite in common usage.)