consul

noun

con·​sul ˈkän(t)-səl 

1

a

: either of two annually elected chief magistrates of the Roman republic

b

: one of three chief magistrates of the French republic from 1799 to 1804

2

: an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country

the American consul in Rome

consulship

ˈkän(t)-səl-ˌship 

noun

Examples of consul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The vice consul’s story also intersects with two flashpoints in Iranian-American relations: a 1953 coup backed by the CIA and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. —Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024

Also making their company debuts are Korean baritone Kidon Choi as U.S. Embassy consul Sharpless and American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Doche as Suzuki, Cio-Cio San’s faithful maid. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

The conflict took place while Rome’s consuls were waging a military campaign elsewhere. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024

The deeper characters in this production are her maid, Suzuki, and Sharpless, the American consul. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin; perhaps akin to Latin consulere to consult

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing consul

• consul general
• vice-consul

Kids Definition

consul

noun

con·​sul ˈkän(t)-səl 

1

: either of two chief officials of the ancient Roman republic who were elected each year

2

: an official appointed by a government to live in a foreign country to look after the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country

consular

-s(ə-)lər 

adjective

consulship

-səl-ˌship 

noun

Legal Definition

consul

noun

con·​sul ˈkän-səl 

: an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country in order to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country

consular

-sə-lər 

adjective

consulship noun