emissary
noun
Did you know?
An emissary is often a person who is sent somewhere in order to act as a representative. The key in that sentence is sent; emissary derives from Latin emissus, the past participle of the verb emittere, meaning "to send out." By the early 17th century, it was a commonly seen and heard word. An earlier common emittere descendant is emit. In addition, emittere itself comes from Latin mittere ("to send"), which is an ancestor of many English words, including admit, commit, mission, omit, permit, premise, promise, and submit.
Did you know?
Like missionaries, emissaries are sent on missions. However, emissaries are more likely to be representing governments, political leaders, and nonreligious institutions, and an emissary's mission is usually to negotiate or to gather information. So a president may send a trusted emissary to a war-torn region to discuss peace terms. A company's CEO may send an emissary to check out another company that they may be thinking of buying. And a politician may send out an emissary to persuade a wealthy individual to become a supporter.
Examples of emissary in a Sentence
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The Canadian fighter pilot and physicist is making his space debut, stressful enough, but also serving as his country’s first emissary to the moon.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
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
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
See All Example Sentences for emissary
Cite this Entry
“Emissary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emissary. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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emissary
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emissary
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