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

The visit comes as Russia confirmed its ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, had left his post in London in recent weeks.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Nominated by Tonga, A-Baki has strong Gulf connections having served as Ecuador's ambassador to Qatar.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador in Turkey, who was also appointed as Donald Trump's special envoy for Syria and Iraq, criticised the attacks in a statement posted on social media.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

He publicly disclosed his 2014 Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2019 and became an ambassador for Parkinson’s patients through both the American Parkinson Disease Assn. and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

And his appointment of Andrew Young as U.N. ambassador brought tremendous joy and hope to blacks and infuriated and frightened the government and its supporters.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Chesney selected Martin to be one of his first ambassadors to regional and national media outlets covering Big Ten football media days in Chicago, joining linebacker Sammy Omosigho and quarterback Nico Iamaleava representing the Bruins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

Influencers with large followings can still wield power as brand ambassadors, much like traditional entertainment celebrities do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

"So it was really exciting to collaborate with the community ambassadors there and help them host the event."

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

“We’ve worked with people convicted of dangerous driving behaviors and they’ve been great ambassadors, but no one else has had the long-term commitment and passion as Reggie. He’s gone so far above and beyond.”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel