Summary
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25th is "emissary," defined as a person sent on a mission to represent another individual or organization. The term is illustrated with an example from Bob Spitz's biography of The Rolling Stones, highlighting Brian Jones's role as the band's spokesperson and representative to the press.
The origin of "emissary" traces back to the Latin word "emitere," meaning to send out. Initially, the term carried negative connotations, suggesting dishonesty or corruption associated with the actions of an emissary. However, over time, these implications have faded, and the word now simply refers to someone acting on behalf of another.
Show Notes
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2026 is:
emissary • \EM-uh-sair-ee\ • noun
Emissary refers to a person who is sent on a mission to represent another person or organization.
// Emissaries from the government are trying to negotiate a settlement.
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Examples:
“Brian [Jones] had enjoyed being in control of the band. He’d arranged their gigs, negotiated their deals, served as their spokesman; he was their emissary with the press, making regular visits to Record Mirror and Melody Maker.” — Bob Spitz, The Rolling Stones: The Biography, 2026
Did you know?
If you’re a big cheese or big kahuna, you may often find yourself too crunched for time to meet face-to-face with your fellow bigwigs, let alone the hoi polloi. In such cases, a good solution is to send out an emissary, someone to act as your representative and shake the necessary hands, grease the necessary palms, etc. The operative phrase here is “send out”; emissary comes from Latin emittere, meaning “to send out.” When emissary was first adopted in the early 17th century, it typically emitted bad vibes (emit also hails from emittere), carrying the implication that the business of an emissary was dishonest or corrupt. But today, that connotation has faded completely, and emissaries are those simply sent to act on someone's behalf.