plenipotentiary

From Medieval Latin plēnipotentiārius (“having full power”), Late Latin plēnipotēns, from plēnus (“full”) +‎ potēns (“mighty, powerful”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃəɹ.i/, /ˌplɛn.ɪ.pəʊˈtɛn.ʃi.əɹ.i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /plɛn.ɪ.poʊˈtɛn.ʃ(i)əɹ.i/, /plɛn.ɪ.pəˈtɛn.ʃi.ɛɹ.i/

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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. [from c. 1645]
   • 1859, Henry David Thoreau, A Plea for Captain John Brown‎:

     None but the like-minded can come plenipotentiary to our court.

   • 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.

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:plenipotentiary.

• (ambassador and) minister plenipotentiary

plenipotentiary (not comparable)

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

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:plenipotentiary.

• plenipotent