Proxy
/ˈprɑːk.si/noun
A person or thing authorized to act for another, or a substitute acting in place of something else.
Did you know?Proxy comes through ecclesiastical Latin and Old French from a Greek word tied to public action, not magic—but the idea of one body acting for another made it feel almost ritualistic in medieval law.
Etymological Timeline
Greek antiquity
Greek
próxenos
“a public friend or agent who looked after foreigners' interests”
Late Latin
Latin
procurator
“an agent, manager, or steward acting on behalf of another”
Old French
Old French
procuracie / procacie
“an agency, procuration, or act of representing another”
Middle English
English
procuracie / proxe
“a substitute or deputy acting for someone else”
Modern English
English
proxy
“a person authorized to act for another, especially by vote or authority”