consul

American  

[kon-suhl] / ˈkɒn səl /

noun

1. an official appointed by the government of one country to look after its commercial interests and the welfare of its citizens in another country.

2. either of the two chief magistrates of the ancient Roman republic.

3. French History. one of the three supreme magistrates of the First Republic during the period 1799–1804.

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consul British  

/ ˈkɒnsəl, ˈkɒnsjʊlə /

noun

1. an official appointed by a sovereign state to protect its commercial interests and aid its citizens in a foreign city

2. (in ancient Rome) either of two annually elected magistrates who jointly exercised the highest authority in the republic

3. (in France from 1799 to 1804) any of the three chief magistrates of the First Republic

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Commonly Confused

See council.

Other Word Forms

• consular adjective
• consulship noun
• subconsul noun
• subconsulship noun

Etymology

Origin of consul

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin; a derivative of consulere “to take counsel, consult”; consult

Example Sentences

The museum contacted Ankara because the piece "had been donated by the wife of a US consul general who served in Istanbul in the 1940s", she said.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

One of Sun’s most frequent contacts while she served in New York state’s executive chamber was China’s local consul general, Huang Ping.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Scipio advocated for the latter strategy as consul in 205 B.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

Similarly, Werner Gruner, South Africa's consul to the Bahamas, says that over the past two or three years, his office has seen a rise in local people travelling to South Africa, Ghana and Kenya.

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2025

The first thing she and Farder Coram did ashore was to visit the house of the witch consul.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• envoy