dignitary

[ dig-ni-ter-ee ]

/ ˈdɪg nɪˌtɛr i /

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See synonyms for: dignitary / dignitaries on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural dig·ni·tar·ies.

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

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Origin of dignitary

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

OTHER WORDS FROM dignitary

dig·ni·tar·i·al

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

Words nearby dignitary

diglot, diglyceride, diglycolic acid, dignified, dignify, dignitary, dignity, digonal, dig one's own grave, digoneutic, dig out

How to use dignitary in a sentence

The Nobel laureate, on the other hand, was received like a foreign dignitary.
China’s path to modernization has, for centuries, gone through my hometown|Yangyang Cheng|June 30, 2021|MIT Technology Review
After sitting vacant for years, the mansion came back to life in the 1980s, when iconic Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer used it to host dignitaries.
Escape (safely) to Baltimore’s luxurious Ivy Hotel|Kevin Naff|December 4, 2020|Washington Blade
Tennis dignitary Chris Evert stands behind her, forced into rapturous laughter along with 14,000 others inside the arena.
Tennis Star Li Na Says Goodbye to the Court…and Puts the Sport’s Rise in Asia in Question|Nicholas McCarvel|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are the bridge between the foreign visiting dignitary and the U.S. government.
Washington's Protocol Chief Capricia Marshall Steps Down|Sandra McElwaine|August 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

“Large crowds flocked to the jail, where they greeted him like a visiting dignitary,” Gardner writes.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 22, 2013|Cameron Martin|July 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Bespectacled and wearing a proper suit, Ban looked every bit the serious dignitary.
Psy Brings ‘Gangnam Style’ to the United Nations & Ban Ki-moon|Kevin Fallon|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I desired him to accompany me to call on this dignitary, but he did not seem at all anxious for the job.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
The high-priest was a great dignitary, and generally belonged to the royal family.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
His deportment at this solemn ceremony, as related by a church dignitary, was fully edifying.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
It was not long before the curtain was drawn aside again, and one entered who seemed to be a dignitary of the court.
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado|Frank Aubrey
And this great dignitary pointed to me with scorn and said: "Number one foolo."
My Life in Many States and in Foreign Lands|George Francis Train

British Dictionary definitions for dignitary

dignitary

/ (ˈdɪɡnɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

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

dignitary

Origin of dignitary

OTHER WORDS FROM dignitary

Words nearby dignitary

Words related to dignitary

How to use dignitary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dignitary