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
  • His eponymous brand counted celebrities among its ambassadors, and his designs appeared on red carpets from Los Angeles to Cannes.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Bulgaria has summoned Ukraine's ambassador after a drone entered Bulgarian airspace, the country's public broadcaster BNT reported on Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • Roberts also drew a sharp contrast between diplomats and ordinary foreign visitors.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Former diplomats who have worked extensively on human rights told us they were shocked that the victimization of white South Africans would be prioritized over the serious issues elsewhere in the region.
    — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 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
  • Serra’s immersive event, a rapture of colors and shadows, pays fittingly grandiose tribute to an emissary of a legendary cinematic era.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Internationally, her role as a cultural emissary has earned her widespread recognition, including distinctions connected to UNESCO and other cultural institutions.
    — The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 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
  • There is enough oil left in the SPR to do another release if needed, said David Goldwyn, who served as a State Department special envoy for international energy affairs under President Barack Obama.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When British envoys arrive promising support for Rukumba’s independence from Uganda in exchange for access to the snow for scientific research, the village committee embraces the deal as progress.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • Pakistan’s foreign minister has said three of its nationals were killed and one more wounded in an attack by the Houthi militia on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Iran’s foreign minister says there are no direct talks, aside from messages passed through intermediaries.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of foreign minister
Noun
  • According to their attorney, an unmarked vehicle carrying immigration agents attempted to pull them over near Dundalk Avenue and O'Donnell Street.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Entertainment Weekly has reached out to attorneys for both Carradine’s family and the regents of the University of California for comment.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of attorney

Browse Nearby Words

plenipotentiaries
plenipotentiary
plenitude
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Cite this Entry

“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plenipotentiary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plenipotentiary

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