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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Commercial conversations Earlier this month, the UK government convened a meeting of defense companies to meet ambassadors and defense attaches from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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Guess named the South Korean rapper, singer and member of the K-pop group Stray Kids its first global brand ambassador for both Guess and Guess Jeans brands earlier this month.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Another council diplomat said France introduced a separate resolution on Monday that made no mention of Iran and would not be placed under Chapter Seven.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
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Instead, a different Rubio emerged, one who appeared to see the world through the lens of America’s top diplomat, rather than a politician winning votes through anti-Castro slogans.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 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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Another kind of story involves one sibling’s work on the other’s behalf, as a kind of representative or emissary.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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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
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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The plan was presented to Iran by Pakistan as a third-party intermediary, special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
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Politico reported that Mazzara is among 10 staffers who followed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the State Department after she was fired this month from DHS and given a new role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Iran's president and foreign minister have held phone calls with officials in Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
23 Mar. 2026
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After the contract was signed, Rivera and Gorrín arranged a meeting in New York City between Rodríguez, then foreign minister and a PDVSA board member, and Sessions, whose Dallas-area district included Exxon’s headquarters.—
Joshua Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Pulte wrote separately to the US attorneys for the Southern District of Florida and Northern District of Illinois in letters dated Wednesday.—
Josh Wingrove,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
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If indeed the grand jury chose only to issue a presentment, charges may still be possible, according to former state attorneys.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plenipotentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plenipotentiary. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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