consul

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noun con·sul \ˈkän(t)-səl\

Definition of consul

1a : either of two annually elected chief magistrates of the Roman republicb : one of three chief magistrates of the French republic from 1799 to 1804
2 : an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country the American consul in Rome

consular

play \ˈkän(t)-s(ə-)lər\ adjective

consulship

play \ˈkän(t)-səl-ˌship\ noun

See consul defined for English-language learners

See consul defined for kids

Recent Examples of consul from the Web

Hong Lei, consul general of China to Chicago, visited with Zhang's family in Champaign on July 1 and spoke to university and police authorities about the case.

— dawn rhodes, chicagotribune.com, "Prosecutor: U. of I. kidnapping suspect was heard describing 'ideal victim'", 5 July 2017
Hamburg is home to some 550 Chinese companies, the highest number in Europe, and boasts a Chinese consul.

— patrick donahue, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Confronts German Port City That's Already Turning to China", 5 July 2017
Also present will be representatives of Cleveland's honorary consul for the Netherlands, and the Netherlands American Chamber of Commerce.

— brian albrecht, cleveland.com, "Rosie the Riveter saluted and USS Cod re-enacts rescue July 8 (photos, video)", 3 July 2017
There were also remarks by Guy Gilady, deputy consul general of Israel in Miami.

— sergio carmona, Jewish Journal, "New wave of anti-Semitism discussed at Aventura synagogue", 2 June 2017
The family went to Montreal in 1938 when the elder Brzezinski was appointed Polish consul general.

— laurie kellman, The Seattle Times, "Carter national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski dies", 26 May 2017
The family went to Montreal in 1938 when the elder Brzezinski was appointed Polish consul general.

— associated press, Fox News, "Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter's national security adviser, dead at 89", 26 May 2017
Ten years later, his father, Tadeusz, a diplomat from an aristocratic Catholic family, was posted to Montreal as Poland’s consul general.

— jim hoagland, Washington Post, "Zbigniew Brzezinski, foreign policy intellectual who served as Carter’s national security adviser, dies at 89", 26 May 2017
South Grade Elementary, which consul Mario Rene Azmitia visited on Monday, has more than 100 students who speak Kanjobal or Mam, two indigenous Guatemalan languages, out of about 700 students.

— lois k. solomon, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Lake Worth students relish high tea with the Guatemalan consul", 22 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of consul

Middle English, from Latin; perhaps akin to Latin consulere to consult

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

CONSUL Defined for English Language Learners

consul

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noun

Definition of consul for English Language Learners

: a government official whose job is to live in a foreign country and protect and help the citizens of his or her own country who are traveling, living, or doing business there
: either one of two chief officials of the ancient Roman republic who were elected every year

CONSUL Defined for Kids

consul

play

noun con·sul \ˈkän-səl\

Definition of consul for Students

: an official appointed by a government to live in a foreign country in order to look after the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country

Law Dictionary

consul

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noun con·sul \ˈkän-səl\

Legal Definition of consul

: an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country in order to represent the commercial interests of citizens of the appointing country