dignitary
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dignitary
Explanation
A dignitary is a very important person (VIP), usually from another country. Major dignitaries from other countries might get to meet the President when they visit the U.S. If you see the word dignity in dignitary, it gives you a clue to its meaning. When we treat people with dignity, we're treating them with respect. Dignitaries get a lot of respect, because they're important and powerful people in their country — heads of state, ambassadors, and royalty are all dignitaries. It's not easy to become a dignitary: you'd better either be born into the right family or become a powerful person in some other way.
Vocabulary lists containing dignitary
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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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.
The Philadelphia Police Department’s Dignitary Protection Section stationed cars outside the homes of the commissioners and their staff members.
From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2020
"You have to be creative," Wes Schwark, assistant to the special agent in charge of the Dignitary Protective Division, said in an interview with The Associated Press.
From Fox News • Feb. 4, 2019
Troopers in Oregon’s Dignitary Protection Unit estimated they looked into more than 100 possible threats against Brown without documenting the investigations; they provided no equivalent estimate for Kulongoski and Kitzhaber.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2018
Dignitary wounds cannot always be healed with the stroke of a pen.
From Time • Jun. 26, 2015
Dignitary, I am aware that thou knowest both kinds of writing, and that the wisdom of priests is not strange to thee.
From The Pharaoh and the Priest An Historical Novel of Ancient Egypt by Glovatski, Alexander
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.
