deputize
DEP-yuh-taize
/ˈdɛpjʊtaɪz/
To appoint someone to act as a deputy or representative, granting them the authority to perform duties on your behalf.
Often carries a legal, law-enforcement, or highly formal connotation, where the person stepping in temporarily holds the full power of the office holder.
The story behind the word. The Latin root 'putare' originally meant 'to prune' or 'cut off' branches. Over time, this shifted metaphorically to 'cutting down' options to make a decision, which led to 'reckoning' or 'esteeming.' Eventually, 'deputare' came to mean 'cutting off' or selecting a specific person from a group to perform a duty.
Word relationships
- commission: 'Commission' means to formally charge someone with a specific project or task, whereas 'deputize' means giving them the ongoing authority of your office.
- appoint: 'Appoint' is a general term for choosing someone for a role, while 'deputize' specifically means they are acting as a substitute for you.
- discharge: 'Discharge' means to dismiss someone from their duties or strip them of their representative status.
- remove: 'Remove' means to take someone out of an official position of authority.
Commonly confused with
- depute: 'Depute' is an older, less common verb meaning to assign a task, whereas 'deputize' is the standard modern verb for making someone a deputy.
Word family
- deputy (noun): A person appointed as a substitute with power to act.
- deputation (noun): A group of people appointed to represent others.
Collocations
- deputize a citizen
- deputize a subordinate
- fully deputized
- authority to deputize
Example sentences
- "With the outlaw gang approaching, the sheriff had to quickly deputize several local citizens to defend the town." A historical account of the American frontier.
- "In the absence of the director, the board may deputize the senior manager to sign emergency contracts." A corporate governance manual.
Memory hook
Think of a Western sheriff pinning a shiny star badge on a brave citizen's chest. He is 'deputizing' them. Pin on the deputy star.
When not to use
Do not use for casual, informal favors (e.g., 'I deputized my sister to buy milk' is overly formal and humorous; use 'asked' or 'sent').
Fun facts
- The root 'putare' (to prune/think) is incredibly fertile, giving us 'compute' (thinking together), 'reputation' (what people think of you), and 'amputate' (to prune a limb).
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