envoy
1 Americannoun
noun
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Formal name: envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an ambassador and a minister resident
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an accredited messenger, agent, or representative
noun
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a brief dedicatory or explanatory stanza concluding certain forms of poetry, notably ballades
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a postscript in other forms of verse or prose
Other Word Forms
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; see envoy 1
Explanation
An envoy is someone sent out as a messenger to represent another person or group, such as a country or business. The saying "Don't kill the messenger" could easily be "Don't kill the envoy," because an envoy is a messenger. The U.S. government has many envoys, as do other countries and many organizations and businesses. In government, an envoy has much less power than an ambassador. The word envoy is also used to describe a brief postscript in poetry or prose that explains or ties up the previous piece before “sending it to readers,” so that’s messenger-like too.
Vocabulary lists containing envoy
Poetry: Literary Devices
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This Week in Words: October 6 - 12, 2018
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This Week in Words: April 13–19, 2019
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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 president said Thursday that Noem would take on a new, freshly invented role: Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Noem, meanwhile, “will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” some new security initiative Trump is announcing this weekend.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
Kyiv's team will be led by former defence minister Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to dispatch Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
Announcing phase two of the deal, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said failure to do so would "bring serious consequences".
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
After a moment he smiled and said in a soft, rather high voice, “You’re the Envoy, aren’t you?”
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
