as in ambassador
technical
a person (such as a diplomat) who has complete power to do business for a government
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
-
On Tuesday morning, students will be greeted by faculty, student ambassadors, and the Pali High band as families, alumni, and neighbors line the streets to welcome the campus back to life.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Learn how to channel the same luxurious look seen in Jenner's iconic home tour, straight from the paint brand's ambassador and color consultant himself.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Trump's top diplomat said America was safer and more secure as a result and that the administration would work with interim authorities to stabilize the South American country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Federal agencies have supported the security of US diplomats at previous Olympics, including Homeland Security Investigations, a State Department spokesperson told CNN.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
But for now, scientists cannot rule out the possibility that one slipped past Earth nearly three years ago, sending a lone emissary into an underwater neutrino detector.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The new campus is expected to serve as a regional hub for Jewish religious life, social services and education, as well as a global center for the Lubavitch movement’s worldwide network of emissaries.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
Separately, Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev will hold talks with Witkoff on economic issues, Peskov added.—
KAMILA HRABCHUK,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Starpower is a currency that goes a long way, as brands race to claim Hollywood heavyweights and hot young things, curating an envoy of beautiful, young, relevant people who are said to represent the brand’s interests and values.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Turkish foreign minister also spoke by phone with Araghchi about reducing regional tensions.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, sought to placate his colleagues’ concerns over the use of ICE by the US diplomatic security detail, following increasingly aggressive tactics by the agency in the US.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
State officials who are defendants in the lawsuit denied restricting the detainees' access to their attorneys and said any protocols were in place for security reasons and to make sure there was sufficient staffing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The woman also prevented the flight crew from providing medical assistance to a nearby passenger and preparing the aircraft for takeoff, per the attorney’s office.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
