embassy

American  

[em-buh-see] / ˈɛm bə si /

noun

plural

embassies

1. a body of people entrusted with a mission to a sovereign or government, especially an ambassador and their staff.

2. the official headquarters of an ambassador.

3. the function or office of an ambassador.

4. a mission headed by an ambassador.

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embassy British  

/ ˈɛmbəsɪ /

noun

1. the residence or place of official business of an ambassador

2. an ambassador and his entourage collectively

3. the position, business, or mission of an ambassador

4. any important or official mission, duty, etc, esp one undertaken by an agent

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Etymology

Origin of embassy

First recorded in 1570–80; variant of ambassy, from Middle French ambassee, Old French ambasce, ambaxee, ultimately from Old Provençal ambaissada, derivative of embayssar “to send a delegate,” from Medieval Latin ambasciāre, derivative of ambascia “service, office,” derivative, by a Germanic intermediary (compare Gothic andbahti, Old High German ambahti ) of Gallo-Latin ambactus “retainer, servant” (from Gaulish, equivalent to amb- “around, both” + -act- verbal adjective of unattested ag- “drive, lead”; compare Welsh amaeth “husbandman”); see origin at ambi-, amphi- ( def. ), act, ambassador

Explanation

An ambassador, a diplomat who represents her own country in a foreign country, lives and works in an embassy. Travelers sometimes visit their home country's embassy for help with their travel documents or other issues. If you've ever visited Washington, DC, you may have seen the French embassy or the Indian embassy. These buildings often resemble homes, which makes sense because ambassadors usually live in them. The word embassy first meant "job or position of the ambassador," and comes from the Old French ambasse, with its Latin root of ambactus, or "servant."

Example Sentences

Beijing's embassy in Colombo said illicit activity in Sri Lanka had risen following enforcement actions in Cambodia, Myanmar as well as the United Arab Emirates.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

The US government is seeking the death penalty for the suspect charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC last year.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, was a researcher at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim, an American, worked for its public diplomacy department.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The Chinese embassy has previously denounced their arrests as a “malicious fabrication.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

As it developed, after about a week he called the embassy himself and discovered that all was well: His passport was waiting for him.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• commission
• consulate
• delegation
• ministry