plenipotentiary

noun

Definition of plenipotentiarynext
as in ambassador
technical a person (such as a diplomat) who has complete power to do business for a government

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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 plenipotentiary Walpole’s most frequent correspondent was Horace Mann, the British plenipotentiary in Florence, Italy. — Catherine Ostler, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2022 Morris was eventually the United States’ plenipotentiary to France and spent years afterward touring Europe and having affairs there. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 4 June 2019 These succeeded to the extent that a meeting was brought about in 1880 between plenipotentiaries of the three belligerents and the American Ministers accredited to those countries on board an American naval vessel in the harbor of Arica. — Edwin M. Borchard, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plenipotentiary
  1. ambassador
  2. diplomat
  3. diplomatist
  4. emissary
  5. legate
  6. envoy
  7. foreign minister
  8. attorney
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 remarks to foreign diplomats triggered an immediate reaction from Goldman Sachs, which replaced its call for an imminent 25-basis point hike with a decision to hold steady at next Thursday’s meeting.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
  • Oman, which long has been an interlocutor between Tehran and the West, summoned an Iranian diplomat to criticize the attack.
    — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of diplomat
Noun
  • The trouble, rather, is that even our top foreign-policy experts and our most sophisticated diplomatists are creatures of our own cultural heritage and intellectual environment.
    — Nicholas Eberstadt, National Review, 11 Sep. 2017
Definition of diplomatist
Noun
  • The bell was joined by a container for herbs and medicines depicting the head of Ofoe, a divine emissary of the deity Ogie’uwu.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026
  • The president’s top-two emissaries also happen to be the highest-profile potential candidates to succeed him.
    — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
Definition of emissary
Noun
  • However, papal legates—diplomatic representatives—continue their external functions.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
  • 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
Definition of legate
Noun
  • Oman summons Iranian envoy Missile alerts sounded across several gulf Arab countries.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • The foreign minister of Qatar — a mediator in the conflict — had said ceasefire talks would continue after the multiday funeral last week for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
    — NPR Staff, NPR, 14 July 2026
  • Hamad met in 2007 with Israel’s then-foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, at the United Nations General Assembly.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of foreign minister
Noun
  • News cameras will be allowed to record and broadcast much of the hearing, the judge ruled last week over the objections of Robinson’s attorneys.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The crucial pretrial hearing was pushed back as prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over what evidence could be presented and if cameras would be allowed in the courtroom.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of attorney

Browse Nearby Words

plenipotentiaries
plenipotentiary
plenitude
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“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plenipotentiary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plenipotentiary

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