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

In May, Theron was named Dior’s jewelry and skincare ambassador. —Hannah Malach, WWD, 14 July 2024

Photo : Hublot Kylian Mbappé: Hublot Big Bang Steel Diamonds Kylian Mbappé has been a Hublot ambassador since 2018 and never misses an opportunity to show off the Swiss watchmaker’s timepieces. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 July 2024

Valderrama has been a global ambassador for the nonprofit since 2021 and worked with them since his early 20s (throughout his career he’s been on 50 USO tours and engagements globally). —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024

The actor, along with NCIS: Hawai’i actress Vanessa Lachey, is a global ambassador for the nonprofit and has participated in over 45 USO engagements around the world. —Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 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