a group of people appointed to undertake a mission or take part in a formal process on behalf of a larger group 代表团 he had been a member of a deputation to Napoleon III. 他曾是去觐见拿破仑三世的代表团成员。
语源
late Middle English (in the sense 'appointment to an office or function'): from late Latin deputatio(n-), from the verb deputare (see depute)