noun
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the business premises or residence of a consul
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government by consuls
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the office or period of office of a consul or consuls
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(often capital)
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the government of France by the three consuls from 1799 to 1804
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this period of French history
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(often capital)
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the consular government of the Roman republic
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the office or rank of a Roman consul
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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
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Parachutes
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Games of Deception
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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.
France will stage an elaborate light show at the Statue of Liberty to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, the French consulate said Monday.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
The passengers were part of around 1,000 people who the Nigerian consulate in South Africa says have registered to be repatriated.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
It requires applicants to apply in-person at an embassy or consulate.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Although grateful for the ITF's help and efforts by the consulate, one of the stranded sailors told AFP they had "little hope someone will come and rescue us".
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
After picking up materials from Gold, Sam would head for the Soviet consulate, a three-story building in Manhattan.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
