envoy

/ˈɛnvɔɪ/

/ˈɛnvɔɪ/

Other forms: envoys

An envoy is someone sent out as a messenger to represent another person or group, such as a country or business.

The saying "Don't kill the messenger" could easily be "Don't kill the envoy," because an envoy is a messenger. The U.S. government has many envoys, as do other countries and many organizations and businesses. In government, an envoy has much less power than an ambassador. The word envoy is also used to describe a brief postscript in poetry or prose that explains or ties up the previous piece before “sending it to readers,” so that’s messenger-like too.

Definitions of envoy

1. noun

   a diplomat having less authority than an ambassador
   synonyms: envoy extraordinary, minister plenipotentiary

   type of:

   diplomat, diplomatist

   an official engaged in international negotiations
2. noun

   someone sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else
   synonyms: emissary

   types:

   legate, official emissary

   a member of a legation

   type of:

   representative

   a person who represents others
3. noun

   a brief stanza concluding certain forms of poetry
   synonyms: envoi

   type of:

   stanza

   a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem