chargé d'affaires

noun

char·​gé d'af·​faires (ˌ)shär-ˌzhā-də-ˈfer 

plural chargés d'affaires (ˌ)shär-ˌzhā-də-ˈfer 

-ˌzhāz-də-

1

: a subordinate diplomat who substitutes for an absent ambassador or minister

2

: a diplomat inferior in rank to an ambassador or minister who heads a mission when no ambassador or minister is assigned

Examples of chargé d'affaires in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Condolences were sent by foreign leaders and diplomats, including the U.S. charge d'affaires. —Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2012

Elizabeth Rood, the charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, is also in attendance at court, CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen reported. —Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 1 July 2022

Earlier in the day, Kuwait followed Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by ordering the Lebanese charge d'affaires Saturday to leave the emirate within two days. —The Associated. Press, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2021

Daniel Smith to lead the US Embassy in New Delhi as the new charge d'affaires. —Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 7 May 2021

In Bum Chun; Andrei Lankov, director, NK News, professor, Kookmin University; Evans J.R. Revere, former deputy chief of mission and charge d'affaires, U.S. Embassy, Seoul. —Jamie McIntyre, Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2021

Beyond Yovanovitch, staffers like her replacement, charge d'affaires Bill Taylor, and David Holmes, who served as political counselor in Kyiv, were called to testify about Trump's plan. —Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 6 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, one charged with affairs

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1