legate

noun

ˈle-gət How to pronounce legate (audio)
Definition of legatenext
as in ambassador
a person sent on a mission to represent another the legate was charged with a list of objectives to accomplish on behalf of his country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of legate The wife of the ailing emperor sends an Imperial legate — her nephew — to investigate. — N. K. Jemisin, New York Times, 14 July 2017 That Francis forced Festing’s resignation without deigning to pick up Burke’s gauntlet was further vindication of the Pope, who will soon appoint his own legate to run the Order. — James Carroll, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2017 In the 1520s Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal legate of England, drove forward a similar program of moral and financial reform, winding up a further 29 monasteries. — Crawford Gribben, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2022 However, papal legates—diplomatic representatives—continue their external functions. — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025 The Franciscan Plano Carpini, who traveled the empire as papal legate in 1246, described a draconian tax collector demanding one in three boys from every Russian family, as well as unmarried women. — Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legate
  1. ambassador
  2. delegate
  3. envoy
  4. representative
  5. minister
Noun
  • My family was comfortable in the sense that my mother worked for the Canadian ambassador as their main cook.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
  • As an ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Howard is conscious of what his appearance at The Open could mean to younger people living with the condition and to their families.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • The celebration comes 250 years after delegates in Philadelphia approved the Declaration, setting in motion what would become the world's oldest continuing experiment in self-government.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • That hot summer in Philadelphia, the 56 delegates of the Continental Congress who signed the historic document spent a lot of time in nearby taverns, drinking beer and discussing and debating the merits of trying to become an independent nation.
    — Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of delegate
Noun
  • The talks come after the Qatari prime minister met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Tuesday to discuss ongoing US-Iran talks and regional developments.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Kushner has joined fellow peace envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha, Qatar, a country acting as mediator between the two sides, to hammer out a resolution.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • Swift's representative confirmed that the actor-comedian officiated the July 3 ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Some states chose not to send representatives; several of them cited disagreements with the partisan mission.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Definition of representative
Noun
  • One of the activists detained by police was Itamar Ben-Gvir, who today serves as Israel’s public security minister and oversees the police, which Emanuel dryly noted was representative of Israel’s overall political direction in the last 15 years.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Ortiz, of La Mirada, is a branch pest control manager and a minister.
    — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
Definition of minister

Browse Nearby Words

legal tender
legate
legatee
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Cite this Entry

“Legate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legate. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on legate

Nglish: Translation of legate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about legate

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