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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To bring the concept to life, Zegna relocated a large team from Italy, including tailors, stylists, brand ambassadors and creative staff.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
In a city best known for politics and international relations, perhaps the greatest ambassadors of all are the famous giant pandas, cared for by zookeepers like Mariel Lally.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The facility, with long-term rentals, is popular with diplomats, business people and other international visitors, and is located about 1 mile from the American Embassy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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Biden’s chief diplomat hadn’t appeared on the event program ahead of time.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
10 June 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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The water being is an emissary of a much larger civilization, and the team’s survival ultimately depends on their halting interactions with it.—
Jenny Odell,
Longreads,
2 June 2026
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Now, her portrayal of Zosia, the hive mind emissary sent to cajole Rhea Seehorn’s Carol into joining the world’s collective consciousness in Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV sci-fi tale of a happiness apocalypse, has stirred up Emmy buzz.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 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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Simon Mulongo, a former African Union special envoy to Somalia and the Sahel, sees the same trend and argues the debate is no longer about whether Africa should partner with global powers but on what terms.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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Among other things, the investigation is looking into whether Andrew leaked confidential government information during his time as a British trade envoy.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The Iranian foreign minister issued a statement saying that attacks or threats would not go unanswered.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
10 June 2026
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In his weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Andarabi dismissed claims of intelligence sharing during the Pakistani foreign minister's recent visit to Washington.—
Sarah Lynch Baldwin,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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But ever since Hay filed his civil suit against Combs, the musician’s attorneys have fiercely denied his allegations.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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The video and the SCE data offer proof that the 100-year-old line, which hadn’t been used since the early 1970s, became re-electrified and sparked the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena and surrounding areas, attorneys say.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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