ambassador

noun

am·bas·sa·dor | \ am-ˈba-sə-dər

, əm-, im-, -ˌdȯr, -ˈbas-dər \

Definition of ambassador

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.

2a : an authorized representative or messenger

b : an unofficial representative traveling abroad as ambassadors of goodwill

Other Words from ambassador Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ambassador

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Other Words from ambassador

ambassadorial \ am-ˌba-sə-ˈdȯr-ē-əl

, əm- , im- \ adjective

ambassadorship \ am-ˈba-sə-dər-ˌship

, əm- , im- , -ˌdȯr- , -ˈbas-dər- \ noun

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 Senate yesterday confirmed Linda Thomas-Greenfield as President Joe Biden’s U.S. ambassador to the UN. — Fortune, "What keeps Martha Stewart relevant?," 24 Feb. 2021 Some are perceiving hypocrisy from Collins and Manchin, both of whom voted in favor of confirming Richard Grenell as Germany's ambassador, despite his intensely partisan Twitter activity. — Rick Klein, ABC News, "Trump's role in Jan. 6 siege looms over business of Washington: The Note," 24 Feb. 2021 When Trump appointed Brownback as U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom in 2017, Colyer got a promotion. — Dan Mcgowan, BostonGlobe.com, "These former lieutenant governors who became governors have some advice for Dan McKee," 24 Feb. 2021 Along with his presence at community events as a police ambassador, Sopkovich said Ajgo’s skills will be particularly useful on the job. — Brian Lisik, cleveland, "Brunswick Hills police welcome new K9 to the force," 23 Feb. 2021 Among them was Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, who urged Che to apologize over the weekend. — Washington Post, "SNL’s Michael Che said Israel only vaccinated its ‘Jewish half.’ Critics call the joke ‘an anti-Semitic trope.’," 23 Feb. 2021 The ambassador would act as a liaison to foreign officials, federal agencies and private companies, some of which have called for greater collaboration between governments to deter attacks. — David Uberti, WSJ, "Lawmakers Call for Ambassador to Represent U.S. in Cyberspace," 23 Feb. 2021 Luca Attanasio, Italy's ambassador to the country since 2017, carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci and their driver were killed. — Fox News, "Italian ambassador to Congo killed in attack on UN convoy," 23 Feb. 2021 Dehab Ghebreab, a 27-year veteran of the Foreign Service who worked with her in Liberia, remembers one particular moment when Ms. Thomas-Greenfield was the ambassador posted in Monrovia. — New York Times, "‘Diplomacy Is Back’: Linda Thomas-Greenfield Is Confirmed as Biden’s U.N. Envoy," 23 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambassador.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for ambassador

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."