plural proxies
1
: the agency, function, or office of a deputy who acts as a substitute for another
2
a
: authority or power to act for another
b
: a document giving such authority
specifically
: a power of attorney authorizing a specified person to vote corporate stock
3
: a person authorized to act for another : procurator
proxy
adjective
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Proxies and Proxy Servers
Proxy comes from a contracted form of the Middle English word procuracie (meaning “procuration”). A proxy may refer to a person who is authorized to act for another or it may designate the function or authority of serving in another’s stead. In the latter sense, it generally is preceded by the word by (“vote by proxy”).
Proxy has recently taken on meanings in computing, where it is found in such phrases as proxy server, a computer system that facilitates the exchange of data between users on a network.
Cite this Entry
“Proxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proxy. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
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