emissary

American  

[em-uh-ser-ee] / ˈɛm əˌsɛr i /

noun

• emissaries
  plural

1. a representative sent on a mission or errand.

   emissaries to negotiate a peace.

   Synonyms:

   legate, envoy, ambassador, delegate

2. an agent sent on a mission of a secret nature, as a spy.

3. Anatomy. sending or coming out, as certain veins that pass through the skull and connect the venous sinuses inside with the veins outside.

4. pertaining to an emissary.

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adjective

1. Archaic. sent forth, as on a mission.

emissary British  

/ ˈɛmɪsərɪ, -ɪsrɪ /

noun

1. 1. an agent or messenger sent on a mission, esp one who represents a government or head of state

   2. ( as modifier )

      an emissary delegation

2. an agent sent on a secret mission, as a spy

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adjective

1. (of veins) draining blood from sinuses in the dura mater to veins outside the skull

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• emissaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of emissary

1595–1605; < Latin ēmissārius one sent out, equivalent to ēmiss- ( see emission) + -ārius -ary

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Explanation

When presidents can’t attend state funerals, they send an emissary to pay their respects. An emissary performs a specific job on someone else’s behalf. Emissary is a word you hear often around governments, but anyone can be one or have one. Say, if you’re feeling too lazy to get off the couch you could appoint your little sister to be your emissary in fetching ice cream from the kitchen.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

emissary emissaries

Instead, US envoy Steve Witkoff headed to Switzerland to get the talks back on track, American media outlets reported, with fellow Trump emissary Jared Kushner also expected there.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

NUUK, Greenland—Jeff Landry, the emissary picked by President Trump to win hearts and minds in Greenland, walked through the quiet morning streets of the capital this week, trailed by one local woman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Bini — already stadium-sized superstars in Asia — is the latest emissary in Coachella’s reach for new sounds from around the globe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

"The emissary, Félix Plasencia, would be the first representative of the country's ruling political movement, known as chavismo, to visit the American capital in an official capacity in years," the newspaper wrote.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

It was Werfel’s job to host the elfin emissary in the city, to take the scholar in as a guest in his own home.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

The plot kicks in when emissaries of the magical world arrive to whisk the boy back to his magical home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Trump’s emissaries—his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his realtor friend Steve Witkoff—came close to piecing together such a deal through Pakistan emissaries.

From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026

The White House said emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would engage in an "in-person conversation" with Iranian representatives, but Iranian state media said that direct negotiations were not in the cards.

From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026

The positioning of BTS as emissaries for Korea is clear, but also, comes with a lot of pressure.

From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026

Wari emissaries arrived in Moquegua around 600 a.d., according to Patrick Ryan Williams and Donna V Nash, Field Museum archaeologists who have been working there since the early 1990s.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

• envoy
• go-between
• intermediary
• messenger

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