# embassy

Pronunciation: say "EM-buh-see" /ˈɛmbəsi/

## Noun

1. The official residence of a diplomatic mission, or of an ambassador, in a foreign country.
   - Simple: The building that serves as the official home of an ambassador or a diplomatic mission.
   - _The ambassador hosted the reception at the embassy that evening._
   - _After the bombing, staff evacuated the embassy and moved to a safer compound._
2. An organization of officials who permanently represent a sovereign state in another sovereign state, or in dealings with an international organization such as the United Nations.
   - Simple: A group of officials who represent their country in another country or at an international body like the United Nations.
   - _The embassy lodged a formal protest with the host government._
   - _Several embassies coordinated the evacuation of their citizens during the crisis._
3. The function or duty held by an ambassador, including the responsibilities entrusted to a diplomatic envoy.
   - Simple: The work and duties that an ambassador carries out.
   - _The veteran diplomat regarded his embassy as a sacred trust._
   - _Her embassy demanded constant negotiation between two hostile courts._
4. A temporary mission sent to represent a sovereign state, usually for a specific purpose or occasion.
   - Simple: A short-term group sent by a country to deal with another country for a special purpose.
   - _The republic dispatched an embassy to seek an alliance against the invaders._
   - _Two embassies were sent that year, one for trade and one for peace._

## Noun

5. A written account or report concerning a diplomatic mission. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A written report that describes a diplomatic mission and what it did.
   - _The ambassador's embassy, bound in leather, recorded every meeting at the foreign court._
   - _Scholars later studied the embassy for its detailed account of the negotiations._

## Origin

A modern variant of the obsolete 'ambassy', from Middle French 'ambassee' (mission, embassy) and Old French 'ambascee', from Old Italian 'ambasciata' and Old Occitan 'ambaissada'. These trace back to Late Latin 'ambactia' (service rendered), ultimately from Gaulish 'ambaxtos' (a dependant or vassal, literally 'one who is sent around') and Proto-Celtic and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to drive around. It is a doublet of 'ambassade'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/embassy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).