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
  • That said, at one point Eleanor captures Sofia giving Dunst a note about the scene where Marie Antoinette is upbraided by her ambassador (played by Steve Coogan) for paying more attention to sleeve lengths than a looming diplomatic crisis.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Some trends from the past few seasons—think aura nails, latte nails, and cat eyes—will carry over into fall 2026, according to Juli Russell, nail expert and Sally Beauty brand ambassador.
    — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ambassador
Noun
  • Saudi diplomats had notified US lawmakers in August of a breakdown in political channels with the Houthis and the rebels’ plans to escalate against the kingdom, and sought Washington’s backing to push back, the source said.
    — Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That is a reference to an international treaty that governs the conduct of diplomats.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 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
  • See pictures from the funeral below, along with a list of the foreign emissaries who attended.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
  • According to the news release, the school is also expanding its participation in the Shinshinim program—two new young emissaries from Israel will join the school for a year before their army service.
    — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 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
  • The envoys held extensive conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day before.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Le Drian, who is seventy-nine years old and currently serves as France’s special envoy to Lebanon, has worked in the Middle East for nearly two decades.
    — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of envoy
Noun
  • Viktor Orbán, who is not related to the foreign minister, was an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who repeatedly delayed or blocked EU sanctions on Russia and pursued energy deals with Russia.
    — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The incident was quickly denounced as a war crime by many governments, but Russia’s foreign minister claimed the strike was justified, due to the presence of soldiers.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreign minister
Noun
  • Her attorney declined to comment about the complaints lodged against the school.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But at the last moment, the defense attorney sprung up from his chair to argue a Hail Mary in a final effort to avert a mistrial, prompting a court officer to hold out his hand to signal the jurors should not yet enter the courtroom.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plenipotentiary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plenipotentiary

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