Words / B2

am-BAS-uh-d-uh/æmˈbæsədə/

An ambassador is a senior official who represents a country abroad. Diplomat is broader (many ranks); envoy is a close, slightly newsier cousin. Ambassador to + country is the pattern; ambassador for can mean a public face of a cause (a brand ambassador — marketing, less official). In speech, the country’s representative is clear. Do not call every spokesperson an ambassador.

Meaning

A senior official who represents a country abroad.

Examples

• “The ambassador spoke at the conference.”
• “The ambassador to France opened the new cultural centre.”
• “She became an ambassador for adult literacy, not a diplomat.”

Good to know

ambassador to + country. A country’s senior representative abroad. Broader: diplomat. Marketing: brand ambassador.

Near in meaning

diplomat

New