ambassador

[ am-bas-uh-der, -dawr ]
See synonyms for ambassador on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative (ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary ).

  2. a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty.

  1. a diplomatic official serving as permanent head of a country's mission to the United Nations or some other international organization.

  2. an authorized messenger or representative. Abbreviation: Amb., amb.

Origin of ambassador

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English am-, embass(i)adour, imbassadore, from Anglo-French ambassateur, ambassaduer, from Italian ambassatore, dialectal Italian ambassadore, equivalent to ambass- stem of “to send a delegate” + -atore, -adore, from Latin -ātōrem accusative of -ātor noun-forming suffix; see embassy, -ator
  • Also Archaic, em·bas·sa·dor [em-bas-uh-der] /ɛmˈbæs ə dər/ .

Other words from ambassador

  • am·bas·sa·do·ri·al [am-bas-uh-dawr-ee-uhl, -dohr-], /æmˌbæs əˈdɔr i əl, -ˈdoʊr-/, adjective
  • am·bas·sa·do·ri·al·ly, adverb
  • am·bas·sa·dor·ship, noun
  • pre·am·bas·sa·do·ri·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for ambassador

ambassador

/ (æmˈbæsədə) /


noun
  1. short for ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary; a diplomatic minister of the highest rank, accredited as permanent representative to another country or sovereign

  2. ambassador extraordinary a diplomatic minister of the highest rank sent on a special mission

  1. ambassador plenipotentiary a diplomatic minister of the first rank with treaty-signing powers

  2. ambassador-at-large US an ambassador with special duties who may be sent to more than one government

  3. an authorized representative or messenger

Origin of ambassador

1
C14: from Old French ambassadeur, from Italian ambasciator, from Old Provençal ambaisador, from ambaisa (unattested) mission, errand; see embassy

usage For ambassador

The gender-neutral form is ambassador

Derived forms of ambassador

  • ambassadress, fem n
  • ambassadorial (æmˌbæsəˈdɔːrɪəl), adjective
  • ambassadorship, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012