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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Carved into 50,000 carats of jewels, the aquamarine became a global ambassador for Brazilian craftsmanship, cementing both the country’s reputation for fine gems and Sauer’s name in the industry.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
2 Nov. 2025
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But Nigeria does not currently have an ambassador or high profile special envoy to have helped get ahead of this.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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This was the case last month at a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which regulates pollution from the international shipping fleet, where US diplomats acted in concert with major oil-producing nations to scuttle what would have been the world’s first carbon tax.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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The move, widely seen as an abandonment of long-standing arms control traditions, has alarmed diplomats and security analysts worldwide.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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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Volar, a dating app that launched in late 2023, even let people train an AI version of themselves that flirted with someone else’s AI as a pre‑date screening, like two emissaries handling the small talk before the generals sit down.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
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Trump’s administration was right to send an emissary after ICE’s Hyundai raid to express regret and negotiate a new business visa process for South Koreans, despite criticism from the more anti-immigrant MAGA base.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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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In the 2000s, Andrew was repeatedly accused of misusing his position as a British trade envoy for his personal advantage.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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Kirill Dmitriev, an investment envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested in posts on Musk's social media platform X that the project would be partly funded by Moscow.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In September, four former DPP staffers were jailed for espionage, including a former aide to President Lai, and a senior staffer to Joseph Wu, then foreign minister and now the head of the NSC.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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In comments on Wednesday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister mentioned the New START treaty, an agreement that came into force in 2011, in which the US and Russia pledged to limit their arsenals of nuclear arms.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sherrill, also a former federal prosecutor and attorney, entered politics less than a decade ago when she was elected to Congress in 2018.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
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In addition to Kardashian and Watts, the attorneys will be played by Niecy Nash-Betts, Glenn Close, Teyana Taylor and Sarah Paulson, along with clients played by guest stars Brooke Shields, Jessica Simpson, Judith Light and Rick Springfield.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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