The term is derived from Middle English ambassadour, Anglo-French ambassateur; akin to Old High German ambaht, "service". The first … See more

The foreign government to which an ambassador is assigned must first approve the person. In some cases, the foreign government might reverse its approval by declaring the diplomat a persona non grata, i.e. an unacceptable person. This kind of declaration … See more

An ambassador-at-large is a diplomat of the highest rank or a minister who is accredited to represent their country. But unlike the ambassador-in-residence, who is usually limited to a … See more

While the title generally reflects the ambassador's second head position as head of a diplomatic mission, in some countries the term may also represent a rank held by career diplomats, as a matter of internal promotion, regardless of the posting, and in … See more

Also before the rise of modern diplomatic relations, sovereign states - which traded with each other, went to war and made peace – had the … See more

The Congress of Vienna of 1815 formalized the system of diplomatic rank under international law, distinguishing between three hierarchical descending categories of diplomatic representatives: full ambassadors (including legates or nuntii), accredited to … See more

In a less formal sense, the phrase is used for high-profile non-diplomatic representatives of various entities (rarely states), mainly … See more