Delegerade

Delegerade is a term used in Swedish and Norwegian to refer to the act of delegating authority or the people who have been delegated authority. As a verb form, delegera means to transfer responsibility or decision-making power to another person or group. The past tense in Swedish is delegerade, meaning “he/she/they delegated.”

As a noun, delegerade is sometimes used to describe delegates—persons authorized to act on behalf of a larger group—though in everyday language the more common noun forms are delegater or delegater. Usage varies by country and context.

In political and organizational settings, delegation involves assigning tasks, decision rights, and accountability to subordinates or representatives while preserving ultimate responsibility in the delegating authority. The scope and limits of delegation are typically defined in rules, charters, or job descriptions, and include reporting requirements and revocation rights.

In practice, delegation can increase efficiency by leveraging specialized skills, but requires clear communication to prevent ambiguity, ensure legitimacy at meetings, and maintain accountability. Delegates may be elected, appointed, or designated by authorities, and may act with formal or ad hoc mandates.

Etymology: from Latin delegare, via Old French or Middle French deleguer, meaning to assign or commission. See also delegation, proxy, representative democracy.