zástupc

Zástupc is not a standard Czech word; the normal form is zástupce. It is a noun meaning a substitute, deputy, or representative—someone who stands in for another person, typically with some authority to perform duties in the absence or incapacity of the principal.

In usage, zástupce appears in formal and administrative contexts. Common examples include zástupce ředitele (deputy director), zástupce vedoucího (acting head), or zástupce firmy (company representative or substitute). The term can denote a temporary replacement, an acting administrator, or a person who acts on behalf of someone else when needed.

Etymology traces zástupce to the stem zástup- meaning substitution or stand-in, with the agentive suffix -ec forming a noun for “the one who substitutes.” In related Slavic languages, cognates exist: Slovak zástupca, Polish zastępca, and English deputy or representative. The form zástupc without the final -e is generally nonstandard in Czech and is usually the result of abbreviation, typographical error, or informal shorthand.

In legal and formal contexts, it is important to distinguish zástupce from zmocněnec or oprávněný zástupce. The latter terms refer to someone granted explicit authority to act on behalf of another person, often via a legal power of attorney, whereas zástupce more broadly denotes a stand-in or substitute, which may or may not carry formal signing authority depending on the context.