dignitary

[dig-ni-ter-ee]

See more synonyms for dignitary on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural dig·ni·tar·ies.

a person who holds a high rank or office, as in the government or church.

Origin of dignitary

First recorded in 1665–75; dignit(y) + -ary

Related formsdig·ni·tar·i·al

[dig-ni-tair-ee-uh l] /ˌdɪg nɪˈtɛər i əl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dignitary

celebrity, luminary, VIP, official, star, bigwig

Examples from the Web for dignitary

Contemporary Examples of dignitary

Many of them, such as a visiting French dignitary fresh off a plane from Paris at the age of 103, proved that 90 is the new 30.
John McCain’s Surprising Toast at Kissinger’s 90th Birthday Party
The Daily Beast
June 4, 2013

Historical Examples of dignitary

But what dignitary is this crossing from the other side to greet the governor?
Main Street
Nathaniel Hawthorne
He passed the knife on to the dignitary who stood behind his chair.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
His grandfather (I think) was a dignitary of a kind, the Syndic of the Pilots.
Some Reminiscences
Joseph Conrad
A dignitary, as you call it, is not to see his child robbed of her rights.
Is He Popenjoy?
Anthony Trollope
No ordinary King's messenger, then, but some dignitary of the Court.
Long Live the King
Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for dignitary

dignitary

noun plural -taries

a person of high official position or rank, esp in government or the church

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dignitary

1670s; see dignity + -ary. Related: Dignitaries (plural).