envoy

noun

en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi How to pronounce envoy (audio) ˈän- How to pronounce envoy (audio)
1
a
: a minister plenipotentiary accredited to a foreign government who ranks between an ambassador and a minister resident

called also envoy extraordinary

b
: a person delegated to represent one government in its dealings with another
2

Examples of envoy in a Sentence

the president sent the secretary of state as his personal envoy to gain the support of the country's allies one of the hostage takers was chosen as the group's envoy for all dealings with the authorities
Recent Examples on the Web They were set to join a business round table on Tuesday with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and to meet with Mr. Biden’s special envoy for climate, John Kerry. Michael Crowley, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023 John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy, is to attend in Biden’s place. Aamer Madhani and Seung Min Kim, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Sep. 2023 On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Qin was found by an international Communist Party investigation to have been engaged in an extramarital affair while serving as China’s envoy to Washington, citing people familiar with the matter. Nectar Gan, CNN, 19 Sep. 2023 The envoy said there were at least 13 mass graves in and around Geneina, the capital of West Darfur’s province, according to credible reports the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office received. Edith M. Lederer, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2023 Another 10,000 people are believed to be missing, according to Tamer Ramadan, Libyan envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Teddy Grant, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2023 But the toll is likely to be higher, in the thousands, said Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Samy Magdy, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, had visited China (the world’s biggest polluter) not long before to restart a dialogue on climate, but no agreement was reached. Win McCormack, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2023 He was followed, in July, by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and President Biden’s special envoy on climate change, John F. Kerry. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'envoy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French envoyé, from past participle of envoyer to send, from Old French enveier

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of envoy was in 1635

Dictionary Entries Near envoy

Cite this Entry

“Envoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envoy. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

envoy

noun
en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi How to pronounce envoy (audio) ˈän- How to pronounce envoy (audio)
1
a
: a diplomatic representative who ranks between an ambassador and a minister
b
: a representative sent by one government to another
ambassadors and other envoys
2

More from Merriam-Webster on envoy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!