Delegation
Etymology
From Latin "delegare" (to send or entrust), built from "de-" and "legare" (to send as a deputy or envoy), the same root behind legate and legacy. The word carries the sense of handing off with authority, not merely offloading chores. To delegate is to deputize.
noun · /del-uh-GAY-shun/
The act of assigning your authority and responsibility for a task to someone else.
What it names
The core skill of scaling yourself — trusting others with work — and the exact place many managers quietly fail.
Example
Her promotion depended less on doing more herself than on delegation she had always resisted.
Related idea
Delegation hands off both the task and the authority to decide; mere assignment hands off only the task. Keeping the authority while giving away the work is micromanagement, and it defeats the purpose. It also depends on a clear hierarchy that makes authority transferable.
noun · /del-uh-GAY-shun/
A group of people chosen to represent others.
What it names
a body of delegates sent to negotiate or attend.
Example
A trade delegation flew to Geneva.
Related idea
The people to whom authority has been delegated, named as a group.