diplomat

noun

dip·​lo·​mat ˈdi-plə-ˌmat How to pronounce diplomat (audio)
Synonyms of diplomatnext
: one employed or skilled in diplomacy
a foreign diplomat

Examples of diplomat in a Sentence

The President will be meeting with foreign diplomats. He's a talented architect but a poor diplomat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The European Union’s top diplomat said Russia’s army is struggling to make progress on the front line and wants to scare off Ukraine’s Western backers with its air campaign. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The chaos persisted for hours late into Saturday as the presidential guard and other loyalist forces secured the air base and the presidency, analysts and diplomats said. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 As diplomats, schoolchildren, and business executives trickle back into the region, inbound flight data for August paints a picture of uneven recovery. — semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026 By the end of his life, Irving had established himself as a respected biographer and a sometime international diplomat. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for diplomat

Word History

Etymology

French diplomate, back-formation from diplomatique

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diplomat was in 1813

Rhymes for diplomat

See All Rhymes for diplomat

Browse Nearby Words

diploma piece
diplomat
diplomate
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Cite this Entry

“Diplomat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diplomat. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

diplomat

noun
dip·​lo·​mat ˈdip-lə-ˌmat How to pronounce diplomat (audio)
: a person employed or skilled in diplomacy

More from Merriam-Webster on diplomat

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