noun
-
the business premises or residence of a consul
-
government by consuls
-
the office or period of office of a consul or consuls
-
(often capital)
-
the government of France by the three consuls from 1799 to 1804
-
this period of French history
-
-
(often capital)
-
the consular government of the Roman republic
-
the office or rank of a Roman consul
-
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of consulate
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin consulātus, equivalent to consul consul + -ātus -ate 3
Explanation
One of the buildings where diplomats work is called a consulate. Many countries have both an American embassy and an American consulate. A consul is a diplomat who works in a foreign country as her home country's representative. The consul's offices are located in the consulate. A traveler might visit his own country's consulate when he's traveling abroad and needs help of some kind — for example, if his passport has been stolen or he's gotten into legal trouble. The root of consulate is the Latin consul, "magistrate," from consulere, "to deliberate or counsel."
Vocabulary lists containing consulate
The Distance Between Us
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Parachutes
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Games of Deception
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The only real crowds are to be found in the daytime -- at banks, cheap bakeries and outside the Spanish consulate, where hundreds clutch papers and wait to get off the island.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
She was later told by the Italian consulate that those without scholarships would not be evacuated.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The passports were almost ready at the San Francisco consulate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Visitors to the nearby Mexican consulate, she said, could help boost the local economy if they stayed in the neighborhood to shop or eat after their appointments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
On Lorena’s day off, two men come over from the consulate to check the whole house for bugs.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
At times, he admitted in the plea, he falsely claimed to have previously worked for the DEA, claimed to be an attorney or claimed to be doing work with or at U.S. consulates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
They were relocated to Musina from various cities where migrants had gathered outside government offices or foreign consulates for help to get home.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
The U.S. has warned the militias are planning more attacks and has told citizens to stay away from the embassy and consulates in Iraq.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Until this week, only Iceland and the US had formal diplomatic consulates in Nuuk.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Since 2002, the Beijing government had been attempting—with considerable success—to stop North Koreans from rushing into foreign embassies and consulates to seek asylum.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
