ambassador

Archaic, em·bas·sa·dor

[am-bas-uh-der, -dawr]

noun

1. a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative ambassadorextraordinaryandplenipotentiary.

2. a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.

3. a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.

4. an authorized messenger or representative. Amb., amb.

ambassador

/ æmˌbæsəˈdɔːrɪəl, æmˈbæsədə /

noun

1. short for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary ; a diplomatic minister of the highest rank, accredited as permanent representative to another country or sovereign

2. a diplomatic minister of the highest rank sent on a special mission

3. a diplomatic minister of the first rank with treaty-signing powers

4. an ambassador with special duties who may be sent to more than one government

5. an authorized representative or messenger

Usage

The gender-neutral form is ambassador

Other Word Forms

• ambassadorial adjective
• ambassadorially adverb
• ambassadorship noun
• preambassadorial adjective
• ambassadress noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambassador¹

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; embassy, -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambassador¹

C14: from Old French ambassadeur, from Italian ambasciator, from Old Provençal ambaisador, from ambaisa (unattested) mission, errand; see _embassy

Example Sentences

George Glass, the United States' ambassador to Japan, joined the conversation online.

Read more on BBC

“Not only are lines of communication wrecked; the very idea of a secure rear is fading,” the former head of Ukraine’s military and currently its ambassador to the U.K.,

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We appointed Tom Hardy—both a man’s man and a female’s man—as a brand ambassador.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. ambassador to Japan and the State Department have voiced their backing for the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and embassy staff in Jerusalem were also "deeply involved", they said, before adding that they could not comment further "due to privacy and other considerations".

Read more on BBC