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dignitary

American  
[dig-ni-ter-ee] / ˈdɪg nɪˌtɛr i /

noun

plural

dignitaries

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

dignitary British  
/ ˈdɪɡnɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

  • dignitarial adjective

Etymology

Origin of dignitary

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

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.

As well as the dignitaries and faith leaders invited to be part of the congregation, will be NHS nurses and carers from the Canterbury area.

From BBC

The president is a Muslim and as this is the month of fasting during Ramadan there won't be the usual lunch hosted by the King for the visiting dignitaries.

From BBC

In a famous speech on independence day, in front of Belgian dignitaries including King Baudouin, Lumumba, aged 34, castigated Belgium saying that the Congolese had been held in "humiliating slavery".

From BBC

So the duo ran the rest of the way instead, encountering a large crowd when they arrived at the airport, filled with fans, military personnel and local dignitaries.

From BBC

Hundreds gathered for his burial near Kenya's Aberdare mountains, but it was a modest affair, with no government dignitaries and the family relying on donations to host it.

From Barron's

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.