legate
1 of 2noun
legate
2 of 2verb
transitive verb
Did you know?
Legate is a somewhat old-fashioned word, less used today than it was a century ago. More common is the synonym envoy. In the days before electronic communications, a legate often had particularly large responsibilities, since he couldn't check with his government to be sure he was doing the right thing. The Vatican still sends papal legates to represent the pope's point of view in negotiations.
Synonyms
Noun
- agent
- ambassador
- delegate
- emissary
- envoy
- minister
- representative
Example Sentences
Crawford Gribben, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2022 The Franciscan Plano Carpini, who traveled the empire as papal legate in 1246, described a draconian tax collector demanding one in three boys from every Russian family, as well as unmarried women. Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2021 The wife of the ailing emperor sends an Imperial legate — her nephew — to investigate. N. K. Jemisin, New York Times, 14 July 2017 That Francis forced Festing’s resignation without deigning to pick up Burke’s gauntlet was further vindication of the Pope, who will soon appoint his own legate to run the Order. James Carroll, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2017 Word History
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French legat, from Latin legatus "deputy, emissary," from past participle of legare "to delegate, send as emissary, bequeath," from leg-, lex
Verb
legatus, past participle of legare "to bequeath"
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
legate
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- ambassador
- delegate
- envoy
- representative
- minister
- consul
- emissary
- agent
- diplomat
- nuncio
- procurator
- deputy
- missionary
- legation
- attaché
- proxy
- apostle
- messenger
- deputation
- ambassadress
- spokesperson
- foreign minister
- evangelist
- courier
- mouthpiece
- detachment
- chargé d'affaires