legate

American  

[leg-it] / ˈlɛg ɪt /

noun

1. an ecclesiastic delegated by the pope as his representative.

2. Roman History.

   1. an assistant to a general or to a consul or magistrate, in the government of any army or a province; a commander of a legion.

   2. a provincial governor of senatorial rank appointed by the emperor.

3. an envoy or emissary.

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legate British  

/ ˈlɛɡɪt, ˈlɛɡəˌtaɪn /

noun

1. a messenger, envoy, or delegate

2. RC Church an emissary to a foreign state representing the Pope

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Other Word Forms

• legateship noun
• legatine adjective
• underlegate noun

Etymology

Origin of legate

1125–75; Middle English legat < Latin lēgātus deputy (noun use of masculine past participle of lēgāre to depute), equivalent to lēgā ( re ) + -tus past participle suffix

Example Sentences

Though its organization changed over time, this military unit consisted of about five thousand soldiers and was commanded by a legate.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

No kings, no emperor, some middlingly important nobles and one papal legate led the expedition.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2022

In the summer of 1497, he was a 22-year-old cardinal, sent as papal legate by his father, Pope Alexander VI, to crown the king of Naples and broker a royal marriage for his sister, Lucrezia.

From The Guardian • May 17, 2013

The cast was winning over all, especially the baritone Ricardo Rivera as Orsini, and the bass-baritone Brandon Cedel as Raimondo, the papal legate.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2012

When Locri was destroyed by one of his legates, the Locrians were not avenged by him, nor was the arrogance of that legate corrected, all this arising from his easygoing nature.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli