ambassador

American  

[am-bas-uh-der, -dawr] / æmˈbæs ə dər, -ˌdɔr /

Archaic, embassador

noun

• ambassadors
  plural

1. a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative ambassadorextraordinaryandplenipotentiary.

2. a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.

3. a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.

4. an authorized messenger or representative. Amb., amb.

---

ambassador British  

/ æmˌbæsəˈdɔːrɪəl, æmˈbæsədə /

noun

1. short for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary ; a diplomatic minister of the highest rank, accredited as permanent representative to another country or sovereign

2. a diplomatic minister of the highest rank sent on a special mission

3. a diplomatic minister of the first rank with treaty-signing powers

4. an ambassador with special duties who may be sent to more than one government

5. an authorized representative or messenger

---

Usage

The gender-neutral form is ambassador

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ambassadorship
  noun
• ambassadress
  noun
• ambassadorial
  adjective
• preambassadorial
  adjective
• ambassadorially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ambassadors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ambassador

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English am-, embass(i)adour, imbassadore, from Anglo-French ambassateur, ambassaduer, from Italian ambassatore, dialectal Italian ambassadore, equivalent to ambass- stem of “to send a delegate” + -atore, -adore, from Latin -ātōrem accusative of -ātor noun-forming suffix; see embassy, -ator

Explanation

An ambassador is an official representative for his or her country, stationed in another nation, like Benjamin Franklin, who was an ambassador to France. Ambassador usually describes the official diplomatic envoy who represents one country to another. These ambassadors work to promote understanding, perhaps by settling differences or clearing up misunderstanding. Used less formally, an ambassador can be anyone who represents something, like a pop singer who is a "brand ambassador" for a cosmetics company.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ambassador ambassadors

Ukraine's ambassador Makeiev also pointed to the 2024 incident involving a DHL parcel in Leipzig.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Volunteering as a welcome ambassador at the Fleadh, Belfast is the first place she has visited outside of the USA.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

The government has appointed a new Arab Christian ambassador to help smooth relations with Christian communities, but critics say it isn’t doing enough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

In March, Trump appointed Adams as the special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values — a position created for him after his nomination as ambassador to Malaysia stalled the previous year.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

He glared directly at the American ambassador in the front row.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Lula said that with elections looming, he was not receiving new ambassadors from any country, and blamed Washington for lagging in appointing someone.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The proposal, made at a gathering of OAS ambassadors, was supported by a large majority, though Mexico and Brazil expressed reservations.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

That trio have been superb players and ambassadors for the game.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Rival Lululemon took an aggressive approach to opening stores and built its online presence online and through ambassadors in the country, Saunders said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Vanessa was older than us by six months, and she ran in social circles that included girls and guys who were likely to become senators, ambassadors, and Nobel Prize winners.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya