emissary
Americannoun
plural
emissaries-
a representative sent on a mission or errand.
emissaries to negotiate a peace.
- Synonyms:
- legate, envoy, ambassador, delegate
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an agent sent on a mission of a secret nature, as a spy.
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Anatomy. sending or coming out, as certain veins that pass through the skull and connect the venous sinuses inside with the veins outside.
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pertaining to an emissary.
adjective
noun
-
-
an agent or messenger sent on a mission, esp one who represents a government or head of state
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( as modifier )
an emissary delegation
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an agent sent on a secret mission, as a spy
adjective
Etymology
Origin of emissary
1595–1605; < Latin ēmissārius one sent out, equivalent to ēmiss- ( emission ) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
When presidents can’t attend state funerals, they send an emissary to pay their respects. An emissary performs a specific job on someone else’s behalf. Emissary is a word you hear often around governments, but anyone can be one or have one. Say, if you’re feeling too lazy to get off the couch you could appoint your little sister to be your emissary in fetching ice cream from the kitchen.
Vocabulary lists containing emissary
Things Fall Apart
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Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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American Born Chinese
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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.
Bini — already stadium-sized superstars in Asia — is the latest emissary in Coachella’s reach for new sounds from around the globe.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
The emissary is reported to be a close ally and friend of Rodríguez, who has been described as "extremely co-operative" by the White House.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
And nothing illustrates that better than the man Trump has deployed as his lead emissary in the negotiations: Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025
Created as a refuge for Jewish musicians fleeing Nazi persecution, it became, with Israel’s founding in 1948, a cultural emissary for its home country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
The elfin emissary tried to smile a little, like he could take a joke.
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
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.
