adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃəɹ.i/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃi.əɹ.i/
General-American:/plɛn.ɪ.poʊˈtɛn.ʃ(i)əɹ.i/
General-American:/plɛn.ɪ.pəˈtɛn.ʃi.ɛɹ.i/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Invested with full power.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person invested with full powers, especially as the diplomatic agent of a sovereign state, (originally) charged with handling a certain matter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: diplomat, diplomatist
History
Etymology
From Medieval Latin plēnipotentiārius (“having full power”), Late Latin plēnipotēns, from plēnus (“full”) + potēns (“mighty, powerful”).
Across languages
Translations
49 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
упълномощен
(upǎlnomošten)
— invested with full power
Chinese Cantonese:
全權代表 /全权代表
(cyun4 kyun4 doi6 biu2)
— invested with full power
Chinese Cantonese:
全權大使 /全权大使
(cyun4 kyun4 daai6 si3)
— invested with full power
Czech:
zplnomocněný
— invested with full power
Danish:
befuldmægtiget
— invested with full power
Dutch:
gevolmachtigd
— invested with full power
Esperanto:
plenpova
— invested with full power
Finnish:
täysivaltainen
— invested with full power
French:
plénipotentiaire
— invested with full power
German:
bevollmächtigt
— invested with full power
Macedonian:
полномо́шен
(polnomóšen)
— invested with full power
Macedonian:
ополномо́штен
(opolnomóšten)
— invested with full power
Polish:
pełnomocny
— invested with full power
Portuguese:
plenipotenciário
— invested with full power
Russian:
полномо́чный
(polnomóčnyj)
— invested with full power
Russian:
уполномо́ченный
(upolnomóčennyj)
— invested with full power
Ukrainian:
повнова́жний
(povnovážnyj)
— invested with full power
Bulgarian:
пълномощен
(pǎlnomošten)
— of or relating to a plenipotentiary
Esperanto:
plenpova
— of or relating to a plenipotentiary
Finnish:
täysivaltainen
— of or relating to a plenipotentiary
Macedonian:
полномошнички
(polnomošnički)
— of or relating to a plenipotentiary
Polish:
pełnomocny
— of or relating to a plenipotentiary
Bulgarian:
упълномощен
(upǎlnomošten)
— person invested with supreme authority
Bulgarian:
пълномощен представител
(pǎlnomošten predstavitel)
— person invested with supreme authority
Czech:
zplnomocněnec
— person invested with supreme authority
Danish:
befuldmægtiget
— person invested with supreme authority
Dutch:
gevolmachtigde
— person invested with supreme authority
Dutch:
plenipotentiaris
— person invested with supreme authority
Esperanto:
plenpovulo
— person invested with supreme authority
Finnish:
täysivaltainen edustaja
— person invested with supreme authority
French:
plénipotentiaire
— person invested with supreme authority
German:
Bevollmächtigter
— person invested with supreme authority
German:
Generalbevollmächtigter
— person invested with supreme authority
Icelandic:
fulltrúi sem hefur fullt umboð
— person invested with supreme authority
Indonesian:
wali
— person invested with supreme authority
Italian:
plenipotenziario
— person invested with supreme authority
Italian:
plenipotenziaria
— person invested with supreme authority
Macedonian:
полномо́шник
(polnomóšnik)
— person invested with supreme authority
Macedonian:
ополномо́штеник
(opolnomóštenik)
— person invested with supreme authority
Polish:
pełnomocnik
— person invested with supreme authority
Polish:
ambasador
— person invested with supreme authority
Portuguese:
plenipotenciário
— person invested with supreme authority
Romanian:
plenipotențiar
— person invested with supreme authority
Russian:
уполномо́ченный
(upolnomóčennyj)
— person invested with supreme authority
Russian:
уполномо́ченная
(upolnomóčennaja)
— person invested with supreme authority
Russian:
полномо́чный представи́тель
(polnomóčnyj predstavítelʹ)
— person invested with supreme authority
Russian:
полпре́д
(polpréd)
— person invested with supreme authority
Spanish:
plenipotenciario
— person invested with supreme authority
Ottoman Turkish:
دستور
(düstur)
— person invested with supreme authority
