embassy
Americannoun
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a body of people entrusted with a mission to a sovereign or government, especially an ambassador and their staff.
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the official headquarters of an ambassador.
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the function or office of an ambassador.
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a mission headed by an ambassador.
noun
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the residence or place of official business of an ambassador
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an ambassador and his entourage collectively
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the position, business, or mission of an ambassador
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any important or official mission, duty, etc, esp one undertaken by an agent
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of embassy
First recorded in 1570–80; variant of ambassy, from Middle French ambassee, Old French ambasce, ambaxee, ultimately from Old Provençal ambaissada, derivative of embayssar “to send a delegate,” from Medieval Latin ambasciāre, derivative of ambascia “service, office,” derivative, by a Germanic intermediary (compare Gothic andbahti, Old High German ambahti ) of Gallo-Latin ambactus “retainer, servant” (from Gaulish, equivalent to amb- “around, both” + -act- verbal adjective of unattested ag- “drive, lead”; compare Welsh amaeth “husbandman”); see origin at ambi-, amphi- ( def. ), act, ambassador
Explanation
An ambassador, a diplomat who represents her own country in a foreign country, lives and works in an embassy. Travelers sometimes visit their home country's embassy for help with their travel documents or other issues. If you've ever visited Washington, DC, you may have seen the French embassy or the Indian embassy. These buildings often resemble homes, which makes sense because ambassadors usually live in them. The word embassy first meant "job or position of the ambassador," and comes from the Old French ambasse, with its Latin root of ambactus, or "servant."
Vocabulary lists containing embassy
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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.
See Examples For:
AFP journalists saw delegation vehicles entering the US embassy compound in the heart of Rome under tight security on Tuesday morning ahead of the talks, while the embassy declined to comment when asked.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
A spokeswoman for the Israeli embassy said Israel shares intelligence with the U.S. because of the close partnership between the two countries and not to advocate for a hidden agenda like advocating for war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
I still remember walking into the embassy, receiving my ballot and feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and responsibility.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore asked in October when the US abruptly stopped processing visas at its embassy in the capital Ouagadougou.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Americans turned on their televisions and saw American diplomats firing guns out the windows of the embassy.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Almost 50 countries condemned what they said were threats by Russia against embassies in Ukraine in a joint statement at the United Nations on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
In India's capital Delhi, power has long circulated through ministries, embassies and the parliament - but also through the shaded verandas of the Gymkhana Club.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
The two sides only re-established relations in a surprise 2023 deal brokered by China, which saw tensions ease and embassies reopen in their respective capitals.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
OFAC's alert said payments could involve cash as well as "digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments," including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The photographs were mostly pictures of Comrade K. N. M. Pillai’s son, Lenin, who lived and worked in Delhi—he took care of the painting, plumbing, and any electrical work—for the Dutch and German embassies.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
