envoy

noun

en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi  ˈän- 

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

: messenger, representative

Synonyms

• agent
• ambassador
• delegate
• emissary
• legate
• minister
• representative

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

For instance, Franklin didn’t get the Marquis de Lafayette (played by a standout Théodore Pellerin) a general’s commission from Congress; Silas Deane, the original envoy to France, did. —Craig Bruce Smith, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024

Jordanian officials said the envoy would not return until the war is over and instructed Israel to not send back its ambassador until then. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Indyk served as President Barack Obama’s special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from July 2013 to June 2014. —Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024

The actress and United Nations special envoy is a recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while Barboni Hallik is a board member of Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights and the nonprofit organization Accountability Counsel. —Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024

Saudi negotiators, together with a UN envoy, began talking to the Houthis about a longer-term peace agreement. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024

No replacement has been announced amid reports that the State Department will soon name a special envoy for Sudan. —Declan Walsh, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024

At a May 2023 conference for special envoys on Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed that the entire world was seeking to continue engaging with Afghanistan and addressing its many challenges but also agreed that the Taliban should not be granted formal diplomatic recognition. —Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024

In the aftermath of the killing, the Core Group, an informal gathering of envoys from countries including the United States, backed him from among several contenders to lead the country to new elections. —Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

envoy

noun

en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi  ˈän- 

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

: representative entry 2 sense 2, messenger