Added 9 October 2026
embassy
/ˈɛmbəsi/ noun
In Latin: lēgātio Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about embassy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A diplomatic building where ambassadors live or work.
- An ambassador and his entourage collectively.
Origin
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 (“t.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)