An Envoy Ranks Below an Ambassador
An envoy is a diplomatic representative. In the formal hierarchy of diplomacy, envoy names a rank one step below ambassador.
An envoy is a diplomatic representative, or a messenger sent on a specific mission. Diplomacy once ranked its ranks precisely: an ambassador represented a head of state directly, while an *envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary* stood one step below. Most countries now exchange ambassadors regardless, but the older grades survive in treaty language. A second, unrelated *envoy* is a short closing stanza of a poem, from French *envoi*, a sending.
- A diplomatic representative. *A special envoy.*
- A messenger. *An envoy from the king.*
- A closing stanza. *The envoi of a ballade.*
- Ambassador — the higher rank. *The ambassador.*
- French — *envoyer*, to send. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | envoy | A UN envoy. |
| Plural | envoys | Two envoys. |
| Alt spelling | envoi | The poetic sense. |
| Related | ambassador | An ambassador. |
| French | envoyer | To send. |
- A special envoy flew to the capital.Diplomacy.
- The envoi closes the poem.Poetry.
- Envoys rank below ambassadors.Protocol.
Diplomatic ranks, oldest first
- Ambassador — the highest, representing a head of state
- Envoy extraordinary — one grade below, now rare
- Minister resident — a further step down
- Chargé d'affaires — heads a mission in the ambassador's absence
- High commissioner — the Commonwealth equivalent of an ambassador
French *envoyé*, one sent, the past participle of *envoyer*, from Late Latin *inviare*, to send on the way, from *via*, a road.
Is an envoy the same as an ambassador?
Not formally. Envoy was historically a lower diplomatic rank, though today it often just means a representative on a specific mission.
What is an envoi in poetry?
A short closing stanza, common in the ballade, often addressing a patron or summing up the poem.