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envoy

1 American  
[en-voi, ahn-] / ˈɛn vɔɪ, ˈɑn- /

noun

  1. a diplomatic agent.

    Synonyms:
    deputy, emissary, delegate

  2. any accredited messenger or representative.

    Synonyms:
    deputy, emissary, delegate

  3. Also called minister plenipotentiary.  Also called envoy extraordinary.  a diplomatic agent of the second rank, next in status after an ambassador.

envoy 2 American  
[en-voi, ahn-] / ˈɛn vɔɪ, ˈɑn- /
Or envoi

noun

  1. a short stanza concluding a poem in certain archaic metrical forms, as a ballade, and serving as a dedication, or a similar postscript to a prose composition.

envoy 1 British  
/ ˈɛnvɔɪ /

noun

  1. Formal name: envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary.  a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an ambassador and a minister resident

  2. an accredited messenger, agent, or representative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
envoy 2 British  
/ ˈɛnvɔɪ /

noun

  1. a brief dedicatory or explanatory stanza concluding certain forms of poetry, notably ballades

  2. a postscript in other forms of verse or prose

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • envoyship noun

Etymology

Origin of envoy1

1635–45; < French envoyé envoy, noun use of past participle of envoyer to send < Vulgar Latin *inviāre, presumably originally to be on a journey, verbal derivative of Latin in viā on one's way, en route

Origin of envoy2

1350–1400; Middle English envoye < Old French, derivative of envoyer to send; envoy 1

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 former Duke of York served as the UK's trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, enjoying privileged access to senior government and business contacts around the world.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Not for nothing did U.S. envoy Tom Barrack say in November 2025 that “Lebanon is a failed state.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The country’s officials helped deliver America’s 15-point peace plan to Iran, according to Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

“The physical market isn’t being reflected in the price,” said Carlos Pascual, senior vice president at S&P Global and a former energy envoy at the State Department, said.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

Custom demanded that the queen begin with the Astapori envoy, a former slave who called himself Lord Ghael, though no one seemed to know what he was lord of.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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.