emissary
noun
Did you know?
An emissary is often a person who is sent somewhere in order to act as a representative. The key in that sentence is sent; emissary derives from Latin emissus, the past participle of the verb emittere, meaning "to send out." By the early 17th century, it was a commonly seen and heard word. An earlier common emittere descendant is emit. In addition, emittere itself comes from Latin mittere ("to send"), which is an ancestor of many English words, including admit, commit, mission, omit, permit, premise, promise, and submit.
Did you know?
Like missionaries, emissaries are sent on missions. However, emissaries are more likely to be representing governments, political leaders, and nonreligious institutions, and an emissary's mission is usually to negotiate or to gather information. So a president may send a trusted emissary to a war-torn region to discuss peace terms. A company's CEO may send an emissary to check out another company that they may be thinking of buying. And a politician may send out an emissary to persuade a wealthy individual to become a supporter.
Examples of emissary in a Sentence
Aya Al-Hakim, People.com, 7 July 2025
The wordplay ultimately turned out to be a trap set by god of death Sutekh, who was using Ms Triad as his emissary on Earth.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 May 2025
Even more confusing: His drug operation is overseen by a French syndicate, who has sent an alluring emissary played by Lera Abova, who wears leopard print and rides around on a scooter.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
Connolly will serve as the emissary between YouTube and the world of traditional media and entertainment.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for emissary
Cite this Entry
“Emissary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emissary. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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