plenipotentiary

English
WOTD – 25 February 2008

Etymology

First attested in 1645. From Medieval Latin plenipotentiarius (“having full power”), Late Latin plenipotens, from plēnus (“full”) +‎ potēns (“mighty, powerful”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃəɹ.i/, /ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃi.əɹ.i/
  • (US) IPA(key): /plɛn.ɪ.poʊˈtɛn.ʃ(i)əɹ.i/, /plɛn.ɪ.pəˈtɛn.ʃi.ɛɹ.i/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

plenipotentiary (plural plenipotentiaries)

  1. A person invested with full powers, especially as the diplomatic agent of a sovereign state, (originally) charged with handling a certain matter
    • 1937, P. G. Wodehouse, 'Lord Emsworth and Others', Overlook, Woodstock: 2002, p 232.
      Meeting him in the street and ignoring the foul bowler hat he wore on his walks abroad, you would have put him down as a Bishop in mufti or, at the least, a plenipotentiary at one of the better courts.
    • 1985, Anthony Burgess, Kingdom of the Wicked
      Two of them are hanging up there on Golgotha, and that ought to be enough to show the authority of Rome’s ah plenipotentiary.

Quotations
  • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:plenipotentiary.

Derived terms
  • (ambassador and) minister plenipotentiary

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Adjective

plenipotentiary (not comparable)

  1. Invested with full power.
  2. Of or relating to a plenipotentiary agent

Quotations
  • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:plenipotentiary.

Synonyms

Translations
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