What does emissary mean?
Word: Emissary
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Emissary means a person sent on an official task, often to carry a message from one leader to another.
How do you spell emissary?
Syllables: em - is - sa - ry
Tricky part: The doubled letter is what goes wrong: students double the m, or double nothing at all. Only the s is doubled.
Watch out for: emmissary, emisary, emmisary
Memory tip: One messenger, two sealed letters: one m, then two s's.
Emissary in a sentence
Example 1: The two schools each chose an emissary to settle the date of the inter-school quiz.
Example 2: An emissary from the state sports board visited the new stadium in Ranchi.
Example 3: Mughal emperors received emissaries from distant courts with great ceremony.
Fun Fact
In 1615 Sir Thomas Roe sailed to India as an emissary of King James I of England, hoping to win trading rights from Emperor Jahangir.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
em_ss_ry
a) e, e
b) i, a
c) e, a
d) i, e
Show answer
b) i, a. Think of the short i of sit, and then the a that many words ending in ry carry, such as library.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
The young esyrmsia carried the prime minister's greetings to the president of Nepal.
a) adversary
b) emissary
c) secretary
d) visionary
Show answer
b) emissary. A jumble holding two s's and no d, v or c can make just this word.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word emissary as used in the sentence:
The Maharaja sent a trusted emissary to the neighbouring kingdom to propose a trade agreement.
a) rival
b) monarch
c) envoy
d) scholar
Show answer
c) envoy. An envoy, like the person in this sentence, travels on behalf of someone in power.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. ambassador 2. emissary 3. diplomat 4. delagation
a) someone entrusted with a special errand by those in power
b) an official who handles relations between countries
c) the top official sent to represent a country abroad
d) a group of people chosen to represent others
Show answer
d) a group of people chosen to represent others. The slip is in delagation, because the vowel after the l is e.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these people is acting as an emissary?
a) a guide showing tourists round a fort
b) a local clerk filing the day's letters
c) a minister sent abroad to open peace talks
d) a coach training the school's relay team
Show answer
c) a minister sent abroad to open peace talks
2. Why would a ruler send an emissary rather than go in person?
a) to sell the palace silver at a better price
b) to learn a foreign language at a far-off school
c) to avoid any further contact with that country
d) to settle distant matters while staying at home
Show answer
d) to settle distant matters while staying at home
