ambassador

noun

am·​bas·​sa·​dor am-ˈba-sə-dər 

əm-,

im-,

-ˌdȯr,

-ˈbas-dər

1

: an official envoy

especially : a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment

She's the American ambassador to Italy.

2

a

: an authorized representative or messenger

b

: an unofficial representative

traveling abroad as ambassadors of goodwill

ambassadorial

am-ˌba-sə-ˈdȯr-ē-əl 

əm-

im-

adjective

ambassadorship

am-ˈba-sə-dər-ˌship 

əm-

im-

-ˌdȯr-

-ˈbas-dər-

noun

Synonyms

• agent
• delegate
• emissary
• envoy
• legate
• minister
• representative

Examples of ambassador in a Sentence

Embassy officials met with the ambassador.

a beloved entertainer who has often been sent abroad by the president as his country's goodwill ambassador

Recent Examples on the Web

The energy penetrated the beak of an American eagle carved into a Great Seal hanging in the ambassador's office, powering a hidden microphone and transmitter. —Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

With Haley out of the question, Trump picked Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to be his U.N. ambassador. —Andi Shae Napier, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024

Zourabichvili, whose post is mostly ceremonial, met with EU ambassadors and opposition leaders after Kobakhidze’s announcement. —Sophiko Megrelidze, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024

Other global ambassadors for Celine include South Korean singer V, a member of BTS currently in military service, actor Bogum Park and singer Danielle of the group NewJeans. —Miles Socha, WWD, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ambassatour, ambassiatour "diplomatic emissary, envoy, messenger," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French ambaxiatour, ambassatour (continental Middle French also embassator, ambassadeur), borrowed from Medieval Latin ambasciātor, ambassātor, from ambiasciāre "to communicate, send a message, send an envoy" (derivative of Late Latin ambascia, ambassia "mission, errand, task, journey") + Latin -tor, agent suffix — more at embassy

Note: The current form of the word with -d-, which becomes common in early Modern English, is dependent on Middle French (and French) ambassadeur, borrowed from Italian ambasciatore, probably borrowed from Old Occitan ambayssador. Regarding the variation between initial am- and em-, see the note at embassy. As the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, remarks, the form embassador was frequent in early Modern English, up to ca. 1700, and sporadic thereafter; the prevalence of the am- form is probably due at least in part to the influence of French ambassadeur. Though ambassador was apparently always more common in American English, Noah Webster preferred embassador, as he notes at the entry for ambassador in An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828): "This is the more common orthography; but good authors write also embassador; and as the orthography of embassy is established, it would be better to write embassador."

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ambassador

• ambassador-at-large
• goodwill ambassador

Kids Definition

ambassador

noun

am·​bas·​sa·​dor am-ˈbas-əd-ər 

əm-,

-ˈbas-ə-dȯ(ə)r

1

: a person sent as the chief representative of his or her own government in another country

2

: an official representative or messenger

ambassadorial

(ˌ)am-ˌbas-ə-ˈdōr-ē-əl 

-ˌdȯr-

əm-

adjective

ambassadorship

am-ˈbas-əd-ər-ˌship 

əm-

noun