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.

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ambassador British  

/ 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

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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

South Korea has said it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat between both countries.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Then-US ambassador, Michael Gonzales, rejected that account as false.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Guilfoyle’s interactions with Deters grew more frequent in the months after she was nominated as ambassador to Greece in December 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Jesse Binnall, a lawyer for Guilfoyle, said the ambassador disputed the authenticity of the messages but declined to provide specifics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Then Sazonov escorted the tearful German ambassador to the door.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

But the back and forth, part of a tranche of hundreds of messages, emails and letters reviewed by the Journal, raises new questions about one of America’s most high-profile ambassadors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Singer Solange and rapper Tyler The Creator attended the show, seated not far from Bottega Veneta's ambassadors -- actors Julianne Moore and Jacob Elordi.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

The BBC's Catherine Burns spoke to some young mental health ambassadors who echoed the report's findings and called for an increase in mental health support.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

There’s also no question the Ballon d’Or voters, made up of writers from France Football and L’Equipe, alongside international soccer ambassadors, have a European bias.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

He had never gone out of his way to see my father, only to avoid him, though he sometimes sent us messages through Anatole, his own sons, or other minor ambassadors.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver