ambassador

Archaic, em·bas·sa·dor

[am-bas-uh-der, -dawr]

noun

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

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambassador¹

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; embassy, -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of ambassador¹

C14: from Old French ambassadeur, from Italian ambasciator, from Old Provençal ambaisador, from ambaisa (unattested) mission, errand; see _embassy

Example Sentences

Taiwan's ambassador to Palau, Jessica Lee, told the BBC that local leaders had assured her that the relationship was "solid as a rock until death do us part."

Read more on BBC

Washington expelled Bolivia's ambassador in retaliation, and the envoys were never replaced.

Read more on Barron's

The poinsettias we buy today are significantly different from the tall, gangly plants botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett discovered in Mexico in 1825, after he became that country’s first U.S. ambassador.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

China has already summoned Tokyo's ambassador and advised its citizens against travel to Japan after the clash over Takaichi's comments.

Read more on Barron's

“This is providing constitutional cover to a reality that already exists,” said Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistan ambassador to the U.S.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal