It's not as if an emissary from outer space will have slipped into school uniform and be loitering around seeking a partner.
Source: tatoeba (327999)
Emissary
/ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/
Synonyms for "emissary" (80 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
agentambassadorambassadressapostolic delegateattachebearercareer diplomatcarrierchancellorchargecommercial attache
Strong matches (24)
commissarcommissarycommissionairecommissionerconsulconsul generalconsular agentcourierdelegatedeputydiplomatdiplomaticdiplomatic agentdiplomatic courierdiplomatistenvoyenvoy extraordinaryestafette
Related words (40)
expressforeign service officergo betweengo-betweenheraldhermesinternuncioirislegatemercurymessagemessage-bearermessengermilitary attacheministerminister plenipotentiaryminister residentnunciopaul reverepheidippides
Show 10 more words
plenipotentiarypostpostboypostriderresidentrunnersecretarysecretary of legationvice-consulvice-legate
Noun(10 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: envoy, agent, agent, agents, ambassador.
- Sentence evidence is available for emissary, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "emissary".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "emissary"
Keep "emissary" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "emissary" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "emissary", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "emissary" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
7 entriesCollocations
6 entriesdivine emissaryforeign emissarysenior emissaryspecial emissarytrusted emissaryunofficial emissary
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
44 translations across 26 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- مَبْعُوث noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Belarusian
2 entries- эміса́р noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- эміса́рка noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Bulgarian
4 entries- емиса́р noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- емиса́рка noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- пра́теник noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- пра́теница noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 伻 noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- 使者 noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Czech
2 entries- emisar noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- emisař noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Danish
2 entries- sendebud noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- udsending noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Dutch
1 entries- afgezant noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Egyptian
1 entries- wp:p-w-t:y-D54-A1 noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Esperanto
1 entries- sendito noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Finnish
1 entries- lähettiläs noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
French
1 entries- émissaire noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
German
3 entries- Abgesandter noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- Emissär noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- Emissärin noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Greek
2 entries- αγγελιοφόρος noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- απεσταλμένος noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Japanese
1 entries- 使者 noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Korean
1 entries- 사자 noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Latin
1 entries- emissarius noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Macedonian
2 entries- пратеник noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- пратеничка noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- sendebud noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- رسول noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Polish
2 entries- emisariusz noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- emisariuszka noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Portuguese
1 entries- emissário noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Russian
3 entries- посла́нник noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- посла́нница noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- эмисса́р noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Slovak
1 entries- emisár noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Spanish
2 entries- emisaria noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- emisario noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Swedish
2 entries- emissarie noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- sändebud noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Ukrainian
2 entries- еміса́р noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
- еміса́рка noun (an agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
An emissary from a distant solar system has contacted us.
Source: tatoeba (10463312)
What I think is really exciting about this is that, after two centuries of observing this fuzzy little blob of light among the stars, Earth now has a robotic emissary in orbit at Vesta.
Source: tatoeba (11140632)
The president sent an emissary to renegotiate the terms.
Source: tatoeba (13247349)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "emissary"?
Closest matches include envoy, agent, agent, agents, ambassador.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "emissary"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.