Deputize
/ˈdɛpjətaɪz/noun
To appoint or act as a deputy, especially with delegated authority.
Did you know?Deputize comes from the same Latin root as *depute* and *deputy*, originally tied to being “sent forth” with someone else’s authority rather than your own.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
putare
“to reckon, think, consider”
Late Latin
Latin
deputare
“to assign, allot, or cut off”
Old French
Old French
deputer
“to appoint, assign, send as a representative”
14th Century
English
deputy
“one appointed to act for another”
18th Century
English
deputize
“to appoint or authorize as a deputy”
Modern English
English
deputize
“to authorize someone to act in one’s place or to serve as a deputy”