emissary

noun

em·​is·​sary ˈe-mə-ˌser-ē How to pronounce emissary (audio)
-ˌse-rē
plural emissaries
1
: one designated as the agent of another : representative
2
: a secret agent

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

She acted as the president's personal emissary to the union leaders. most of the industrialized nations of the world sent emissaries to the conference on global warming
Recent Examples on the Web Goodwin framed his role not as one of domination and takeover but, instead, as an emissary from a possible future. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 His participation came with a degree of symbolism, as this was the first time a Cannes emissary made the trek, though no more than a handful of the 55 projects presented this year would be ready for May. Ben Croll, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 But in private, Iranian emissaries have adopted a more measured tone. Mustafa Salim, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Biden’s emissaries have fanned out on bended knee to apologize for his support for Israel. Jeff Robbins, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024 The Biden team has dispatched Vice President Kamala Harris as a natural emissary to university campuses, including some historically Black colleges. Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2024 Now, with hours to go, a lone emissary from Trump country, Sen. J.D. Vance (R), was suggesting that the next U.S. administration could work with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pullback from Europe. Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Put another way, perhaps Swift is simply an unwitting emissary of our society’s subterranean urges. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Voltaire, who highlights Sanon’s ambition to become Haiti’s president, also cites his contacts with key suspects either personally or through emissaries. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emissary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin emissarius, from emissus, past participle of emittere

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of emissary was in 1607

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Cite this Entry

“Emissary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emissary. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

emissary

noun
em·​is·​sary ˈem-ə-ˌser-ē How to pronounce emissary (audio)
plural emissaries
: a person sent on a mission to represent another

Legal Definition

emissary

noun
em·​is·​sary ˈe-mə-ˌser-ē How to pronounce emissary (audio)
plural emissaries
: a representative usually empowered to act more or less independently (as in collecting or conveying information or in negotiating)

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