ambassador

American  

[am-bas-uh-der, -dawr] / æmˈbæs ə dər, -ˌdɔr /

Archaic, embassador

noun

• ambassadors
  plural

1. a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative ambassadorextraordinaryandplenipotentiary.

2. a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.

3. a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.

4. an authorized messenger or representative. Amb., amb.

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ambassador British  

/ æmˌbæsəˈdɔːrɪəl, æmˈbæsədə /

noun

1. short for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary ; a diplomatic minister of the highest rank, accredited as permanent representative to another country or sovereign

2. a diplomatic minister of the highest rank sent on a special mission

3. a diplomatic minister of the first rank with treaty-signing powers

4. an ambassador with special duties who may be sent to more than one government

5. an authorized representative or messenger

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Usage

The gender-neutral form is ambassador

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ambassadorship
  noun
• ambassadress
  noun
• ambassadorial
  adjective
• preambassadorial
  adjective
• ambassadorially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ambassadors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ambassador

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English am-, embass(i)adour, imbassadore, from Anglo-French ambassateur, ambassaduer, from Italian ambassatore, dialectal Italian ambassadore, equivalent to ambass- stem of “to send a delegate” + -atore, -adore, from Latin -ātōrem accusative of -ātor noun-forming suffix; see embassy, -ator

Explanation

An ambassador is an official representative for his or her country, stationed in another nation, like Benjamin Franklin, who was an ambassador to France. Ambassador usually describes the official diplomatic envoy who represents one country to another. These ambassadors work to promote understanding, perhaps by settling differences or clearing up misunderstanding. Used less formally, an ambassador can be anyone who represents something, like a pop singer who is a "brand ambassador" for a cosmetics company.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ambassador ambassadors

"The half-million Israelis living peacefully … are most disgusted by a small group of thugs," said US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee who welcomed the Israeli leaders' condemnation.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Trump pardoned the elder Kushner in 2020 and named him U.S. ambassador to France in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

Mr. Barnett has published more than 60 books for children and is currently the national ambassador for young people’s literature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

During the Biden administration, then-CIA Director William Burns, who had earlier served as ambassador to Russia, made at least one trip to Moscow in November 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Exactly. Our ambassador in Warsaw gave us a car and instructions to depart immediately. But when the time came to leave that evening, Willa was nowhere to be found.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Chesney selected Martin to be one of his first ambassadors to regional and national media outlets covering Big Ten football media days in Chicago, joining linebacker Sammy Omosigho and quarterback Nico Iamaleava representing the Bruins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

China and Russia's ambassadors to Japan also issued a joint statement about their countries' sacrifices in World War II, Jiji Press reported.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The latest list of 74 names includes future ambassadors to Australia, Brazil and Equatorial Guinea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Prince, Adnan and 16-year-old Henry are all ambassadors for the Hackney-based youth group Voyage, which describes itself as a social justice charity tackling racial imbalance in London.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

He had never gone out of his way to see my father, only to avoid him, though he sometimes sent us messages through Anatole, his own sons, or other minor ambassadors.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver