consulate

American  

[kon-suh-lit] / ˈkɒn sə lɪt /

noun

• consulates
  plural

1. the premises officially occupied by a consul.

2. the position, work, authority, or term of service of a consul.

3. (often initial capital letter) a government by consuls, as in France from 1799 to 1804.

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consulate British  

/ ˈkɒnsjʊlɪt /

noun

1. the business premises or residence of a consul

2. government by consuls

3. the office or period of office of a consul or consuls

4. (often capital)

   1. the government of France by the three consuls from 1799 to 1804

   2. this period of French history

5. (often capital)

   1. the consular government of the Roman republic

   2. the office or rank of a Roman consul

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• consulates
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

consulate consulates

Landry and Howery appeared for photo ops and opened a new, bigger consulate building, as protesters shouted outside.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

The BBC has contacted the Egyptian consulate in London but has not had a response.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 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

Jiichan got directions to the consulate from the ticket window, and they stepped onto the street.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

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

Appointments at U.S. consulates can routinely take months or even years to secure, meaning prospective applicants face prolonged time away from their U.S.-based jobs or family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Hundreds of Indian professionals who traveled home this month to renew their U.S. work visas have found themselves unexpectedly stranded, after U.S. consulates abruptly canceled and rescheduled H‑1B interview appointments amid expanded vetting procedures.

From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025

“We have planned, right after the final draw, a call with the consulates who are here to dig in and understand what the opportunities are for their constituency to engage and participate.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025

They were feted by premiers and emirs and entertained at embassies and consulates as they made their way back west to Palermo, Sicily, where they boarded another tanker for the homeward passage.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• ministry