Word of the day · 20 April 2026
proxy
/ˈprɒksi/
noun
A person or thing authorized to act for another; also a stand-in measure used when the real target is hard to observe.
In a sentence
- She named her brother as her proxy for the board vote.
- Ice cores serve as a proxy for ancient temperatures.
- The browser sent traffic through a privacy proxy.
In an image
Origin
From Middle English procuracie via Anglo-French, from Latin procuratio (management for another); shortened in English to proxy.
History
Shareholders vote by proxy; networks route through proxy servers; scientists use proxy data such as tree rings for past climates. The shared idea is representation at a distance. Tech and civics both keep the word busy, which feeds search traffic.
Nearby words
substitute · agent · stand-in
Someone or something that stands in and acts in place.