envoy
1 Americannoun
noun
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Formal name: envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. a diplomat of the second class, ranking between an ambassador and a minister resident
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an accredited messenger, agent, or representative
noun
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a brief dedicatory or explanatory stanza concluding certain forms of poetry, notably ballades
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a postscript in other forms of verse or prose
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of envoy1
1635–45; < French envoyé envoy, noun use of past participle of envoyer to send < Vulgar Latin *inviāre, presumably originally to be on a journey, verbal derivative of Latin in viā on one's way, en route
Origin of envoy2
1350–1400; Middle English envoye < Old French, derivative of envoyer to send; see envoy 1
Explanation
An envoy is someone sent out as a messenger to represent another person or group, such as a country or business. The saying "Don't kill the messenger" could easily be "Don't kill the envoy," because an envoy is a messenger. The U.S. government has many envoys, as do other countries and many organizations and businesses. In government, an envoy has much less power than an ambassador. The word envoy is also used to describe a brief postscript in poetry or prose that explains or ties up the previous piece before “sending it to readers,” so that’s messenger-like too.
Vocabulary lists containing envoy
Poetry: Literary Devices
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This Week in Words: October 6 - 12, 2018
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This Week in Words: April 13–19, 2019
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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.
The residence of the Albanian ambassador was also hit and the Balkan country summoned the Russian envoy in protest.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to his association with Epstein and has denied any personal gain from his role as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The US special envoy to Greenland, the Arctic island coveted by President Donald Trump, told AFP on Wednesday that Washington needs to rebuild its presence in the Danish autonomous territory.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
The envoy also met a former mayor and various business leaders too.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
“Sad to say, Yunkai has no faith in your promises. They keep plucking the same string on the harp, about some envoy that your dragons set on fire.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
