Deputy

Deputy is a person authorized to act for another. In general usage, a deputy acts as a substitute, assistant, or delegated representative when the primary officeholder is unavailable or incapable of acting. The term is widely used across law, government, education, and business.

The word derives from Old French deputé, from Latin deputare, meaning to appoint or assign; over time it came to denote a person invested with delegated authority to perform duties on someone else’s behalf.

In law enforcement, a deputy is usually a sworn officer who operates under the authority of a sheriff or similar official. Deputies perform patrols, investigations, arrests, and service of warrants. Their powers are derived from the supervising office and may vary by jurisdiction. The sheriff often supervises multiple deputies, creating a chain of command within the agency.

In governmental and political contexts, deputy denotes a second-in-command or substitute. A deputy minister or deputy secretary acts alongside a senior minister or secretary and may handle delegated responsibilities; a deputy prime minister serves as the head of government in the absence or incapacity of the prime minister. The term is also used for deputy leaders and deputy speakers in legislative bodies.

Outside government, the title appears as deputy head teacher or deputy principal in schools, or as deputy chief executive in organizations, indicating a senior leadership role that supports a principal or chief executive. The exact duties vary widely by institution and country.

While “deputy” can imply authority and formal appointment, it often denotes a temporary, contingent, or secondary role and can be distinct from “assistant” or “vice” in various legal contexts.