envoy

noun

en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi  ˈän- 

1

a

: a minister plenipotentiary accredited to a foreign government who ranks between an ambassador and a minister resident

called also envoy extraordinary

b

: a person delegated to represent one government in its dealings with another

2

: messenger, representative

Synonyms of envoy

• ambassador
• delegate
• representative
• minister

Examples of envoy in a Sentence

the president sent the secretary of state as his personal envoy to gain the support of the country's allies

one of the hostage takers was chosen as the group's envoy for all dealings with the authorities

Recent Examples on the Web

Besides the driver, an amiable man who was happy to explain how the shredder worked, only a few nervous schoolchildren stood around, supervised by a woman with a badge that identified her as an envoy of the library. —Mary Norris, New Yorker, 1 May 2026

Administration officials in attendance included Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been scheduled to visit the country, which has been a crucial mediator in peace talks seeking to end the war between Washington and Tehran. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Apr. 2026

The White House on Friday had said that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be going to Islamabad. —Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French envoyé, from past participle of envoyer to send, from Old French enveier

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

envoy

noun

en·​voy ˈen-ˌvȯi  ˈän- 

1

a

: a diplomatic representative who ranks between an ambassador and a minister

b

: a representative sent by one government to another

ambassadors and other envoys

2

: representative entry 2 sense 2, messenger