noun
Refers to a person who acts on behalf of another, especially in formal or official settings. Often used in business, legal, or ceremonial contexts.
会議には社長の名代として出席した。
I attended the meeting as the company president's proxy.
彼は遺族の名代で弔辞を読んだ。
He read the condolence message on behalf of the bereaved family.
Compound of 名 (name) and 代 (substitute, generation), literally 'name substitute'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning has been stable as 'proxy' or 'representative' since at least the Edo period.