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 and appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment as the resident representative abroad

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 of ambassador

• envoy
• representative
• delegate
• minister

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

Stewart, who has been a Chanel ambassador since 2013 and has therefore worn the designs of all three of the brand’s post-Coco Chanel designers, saw a realism in the models’ mix of casual clothes and exuberantly formal ones, with jackets thrown over arms and newspapers stuffed into handbags. —Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025

Gorman’s new title as UNICEF ambassador marks yet another highlight in what has been an amazing year for the writer. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

Gabriela Hearst has been named the newest ambassador for Save the Children. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 Dec. 2025

Emanuel has a stellar political resume that includes senior adviser in the White House to Clinton, chief of staff to President Barack Obama, member of Congress, mayor of Chicago and ambassador to Japan. —Star Parker, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025

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 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

Rhymes for ambassador

• embassador

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