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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No one was surprised to see Robbie, a Chanel ambassador, at the fashion house's Paris Fashion Week show on Monday, March 9.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Franchisees become ambassadors of a lifestyle that prizes energy, empowerment, and human connection.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the United Nations, the Security Council was to vote Wednesday afternoon on the Gulf Cooperation Council resolution, according to three diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Iran’s first act of war against us was the 1979 seizure of the embassy in Tehran and the humiliating 444-day captivity of American diplomats.—
Elan Journo,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 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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Schlanger, who moved to Bondi Beach as an emissary of the Chabad movement 18 years ago, was the father of five children, including a newborn son.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
After sharing a meal and laying out gifts, the emissaries would insist that the Indians move to where the animals were plentiful.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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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Global superpower China also has stepped in, sending an envoy to the Middle East.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2026
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Yes, the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, Western Hemisphere division.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In an interview with CNN Monday, Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, declined to rule out assassination plans targeting Khamenei, saying Israel would not disclose operational steps in advance.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
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Top Iranian politicians — the president, foreign minister and parliament speaker — sent effusive congratulations to Khamenei.—
Ramin Mostaghim,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Carmen Mejia, who was declared innocent after spending more than 20 years behind bars for a wrongful conviction in a child's death in Texas, faces deportation to her native Honduras because her immigration status lapsed while she was incarcerated, her attorneys said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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Defense attorneys have argued that antifa is an ideology and not a formal organization to which the defendants belong.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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