ambassador
Americannoun
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a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative ambassadorextraordinaryandplenipotentiary.
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a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.
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a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.
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an authorized messenger or representative. Amb., amb.
noun
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short for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary ; a diplomatic minister of the highest rank, accredited as permanent representative to another country or sovereign
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a diplomatic minister of the highest rank sent on a special mission
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a diplomatic minister of the first rank with treaty-signing powers
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an ambassador with special duties who may be sent to more than one government
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an authorized representative or messenger
Usage
The gender-neutral form is ambassador
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambassador
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English am-, embass(i)adour, imbassadore, from Anglo-French ambassateur, ambassaduer, from Italian ambassatore, dialectal Italian ambassadore, equivalent to ambass- stem of “to send a delegate” + -atore, -adore, from Latin -ātōrem accusative of -ātor noun-forming suffix; see embassy, -ator
Explanation
An ambassador is an official representative for his or her country, stationed in another nation, like Benjamin Franklin, who was an ambassador to France. Ambassador usually describes the official diplomatic envoy who represents one country to another. These ambassadors work to promote understanding, perhaps by settling differences or clearing up misunderstanding. Used less formally, an ambassador can be anyone who represents something, like a pop singer who is a "brand ambassador" for a cosmetics company.
Vocabulary lists containing ambassador
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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Occupations
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Later that month, the Foreign Ministry ordered Iran’s ambassador out of the country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
The Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, wrote on X: "No self-respecting country in the world would tolerate such an attack, and neither will Israel."
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
That’s certainly what led Caligiuri to become an ambassador and tireless advocate for the UPSL.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Mark Entwistle, Canada’s ambassador to Cuba during the 1990s when Sherritt was establishing itself on the island, said the company did far more than operate a mine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
European explorers had renamed it Mount St. Helens, in honor of Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St. Helens, a British ambassador to Spain.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
