as in ambassador
technical
a person (such as a diplomat) who has complete power to do business for a government
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Recent Examples of plenipotentiary
All empires have, like the Roman Empire, been… The American System and the World Organization
On the day our plenipotentiaries exchange their full powers, an immortal date will be inscribed in American diplomatic history.
—
Ezequiel Padilla, Foreign Affairs, 10 Sep. 2024
Walpole’s most frequent correspondent was Horace Mann, the British plenipotentiary in Florence, Italy.
—Catherine Ostler, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2022
Then came Bob, the king of Thailand’s valet plenipotentiary.
—Alejandro Varela, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019
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
Ezequiel Padilla, Foreign Affairs, 10 Sep. 2024
Walpole’s most frequent correspondent was Horace Mann, the British plenipotentiary in Florence, Italy.
—Catherine Ostler, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2022
Then came Bob, the king of Thailand’s valet plenipotentiary.
—Alejandro Varela, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plenipotentiary
Noun
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Storrie is an official ambassador for Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
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Nicole Kidman Co-chair and Chanel ambassador Nicole Kidman wore a long-sleeve red paillette gown with a close fit through the torso and a straight skirt that skimmed the floor before pooling into a small train in the back.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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In 1997, the businessman shocked diplomats at a black-tie gala by announcing the donation of a staggering $1 billion to the United Nations to benefit programs aiding refugees and children.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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The painting may be the first appearance in art of the American doctrine of Manifest Destiny, a term coined the year before by the newspaperman and diplomat John O’Sullivan.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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Expect emissaries from the ever-changing world of media.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
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Bini — already stadium-sized superstars in Asia — is the latest emissary in Coachella’s reach for new sounds from around the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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However, papal legates—diplomatic representatives—continue their external functions.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
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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
Noun
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Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last week, the president said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
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Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys’ trip to Pakistan last weekend, the president said.—
Sarah el Deeb,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
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Some noted that the Iranian foreign minister visited at Beijing’s initiative.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Adrienna Wong, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said Wednesday’s vote showed city leaders taking action on an issue that was personal to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Neither Moorer nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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