emissary
Americannoun
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a representative sent on a mission or errand.
emissaries to negotiate a peace.
- Synonyms:
- legate, envoy, ambassador, delegate
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an agent sent on a mission of a secret nature, as a spy.
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Anatomy. sending or coming out, as certain veins that pass through the skull and connect the venous sinuses inside with the veins outside.
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pertaining to an emissary.
adjective
noun
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an agent or messenger sent on a mission, esp one who represents a government or head of state
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( as modifier )
an emissary delegation
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an agent sent on a secret mission, as a spy
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of emissary
1595–1605; < Latin ēmissārius one sent out, equivalent to ēmiss- ( see emission) + -ārius -ary
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.
Vocabulary lists containing emissary
Things Fall Apart
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Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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American Born Chinese
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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.
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
And nothing illustrates that better than the man Trump has deployed as his lead emissary in the negotiations: Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025
He’s put off by Ginsberg’s aggressiveness, though the aging beatnik softens somewhat when he realizes Hujar isn’t an emissary of the enemy so much as a photographer picking up work where he can get it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
Magistrate Tiger scowled with irritation and the emissary and the soldier skivered.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
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.
