attorney-in-fact

noun

An agent of the person giving them the power of attorney (for a specific purpose or for general purposes) to act on his or her behalf. The attorney-in-fact’s power and responsibilities depend on the specific powers granted in the power of attorney document.

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Meanings

nounattorney-in-fact (plural attorneys-in-fact)

plural attorneys-in-fact

  1. USlawAn agent of the person giving them the power of attorney (for a specific purpose or for general purposes) to act on his or her behalf. The attorney-in-fact’s power and responsibilities depend on the specific powers granted in the power of attorney document.

Origin

From attorney (“any personal representative”) and fact (“act, deed”). Both words now rarely have those senses (outside of fixed expressions like this).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch gemachtigde
  • gemachtigdeUS legal: ad hoc agent
Finnish valtuutettu
  • valtuutettuUS legal: ad hoc agent
French fondé de pouvoir
  • fondé de pouvoirUS legal: ad hoc agent
German Bevollmächtigter
  • BevollmächtigterUS legal: ad hoc agent
Italian procuratore
  • procuratoreUS legal: ad hoc agent
Polish pełnomocnik, plenipotent
  • pełnomocnikUS legal: ad hoc agent
  • plenipotentUS legal: ad hoc agent
Portuguese procurador
  • procuradorUS legal: ad hoc agent
Spanish apoderado, procurador
  • apoderadoUS legal: ad hoc agent
  • procuradorUS legal: ad hoc agent
Cite this entry
APA

attorney-in-fact. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorney-in-fact

MLA

“attorney-in-fact.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorney-in-fact. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “attorney-in-fact,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorney-in-fact.

Source: attorney-in-fact on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.