embassy
/ˈɛmbəsi/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.13 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The function or duty of an ambassador.
noun
An organization or group of officials who permanently represent a sovereign state in a second sovereign state or with respect to an international organization such as the United Nations.
noun
noun
The official residence of such a group, or of an ambassador.
Example Sentences
- "The King told me, […] That I ſhould have the Character of Ambaſſador Extraordinary, and the ſame Allovvance I ſhou'd have had in Spain: Upon this Offer I made no Demurr, but immediately accepted it, and ſo my Ambaſſy vvas declar'd in May 1674."
- "The American embassy to France is located in Paris."
- "The Japanese embassy to the United States traveled to Washington, D.C., where it was received by James Buchanan, before continuing on to New York and then returning to Japan, making several stops on the way."
- "Then go we in to know his embassy; Which I could with a ready guess declare Before the Frenchman speak a word of it."
- "By the various Relations, Embaſſies and Voyages of Siam that have been publiſht within theſe laſt Four Years […]"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰí Proto-Celtic *ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Celtic *ageti Proto-Celtic *-tos Proto-Celtic *ambaxtos Gaulish ambaxtosder. Old Occitan ambaissadabor. Old Italian ambasciatader. Old French ambascee Middle French ambasseebor. English ambassy English embassy Modern variant of obsolete ambassy, from Middle French ambassee (“mission, embassy”), from Old French ambascee (also enbassee (“message for a high official, official mission”)) from Old Italian ambasciata, from Old Occitan ambaissada (“embassy”), derived from ambaissa (“message”), from Late Latin ambactia (“service rendered”) (attested also as ambascia, from Proto-Germanic *ambahtiją (“service”), *ambahtaz (“follower, servant”), from Gaulish ambaxtos (“dependant, vassal”, literally “one who is sent around”), from Proto-Celtic *ambaxtos (“servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi-h₂eǵ- (“drive around”); compare Latin ambactus, Old Irish amus, amsach (“mercenary, servant”), Welsh amaeth (“tenant farm”)). Doublet of ambassade.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
emb.