What does ambassage mean?
Ambassage is an archaic English noun denoting either a message or commission carried by an envoy or the group of envoys despatched on such a mission. In earlier centuries it served as a routine term in diplomacy and statecraft: a monarch might send an ambassage to a foreign court to propose a treaty, sue for peace, or deliver a formal request. The word carries connotations of ceremony, gravity, and official purpose, befitting matters negotiated between rulers rather than private correspondence. Today it survives largely in historical writing and in older translations of the Bible — most famously in the King James Version's account of a king who weighs his strength before sending an ambassage to parley with a stronger power. Modern readers encountering the word will find it in antique prose, scripture, and scholarly discussion of diplomatic history, where it lends an air of period authenticity that the everyday words 'embassy' and 'mission' cannot quite supply.
nounAn ambassage is a message or commission delivered by an envoy, or the body of envoys itself sent on such a mission. It is now chiefly archaic, surviving mainly in older translations of the Bible and in literary or historical writing.
- A message or errand entrusted to an envoy or messenger.
- The persons sent on such a mission; a delegation or embassy.
"The king dispatched an ambassage to negotiate peace with the neighbouring realm."
"He sent an ambassage to the court of France bearing terms for a truce."
"The Gospel of Luke records that a king considers his strength before sending an ambassage to treat with a stronger power."
The plural follows the standard -s pattern but is rarely encountered, given the word's archaic status.
"Several ambassages passed between the two courts before war was declared."
Before 'embassy' won the diplomatic vocabulary, English speakers said 'ambassage' — and it still survives in the King James Bible's line about kings counting the cost before sending one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ambassage
Ambassage came into English from Old French, where related forms such as 'ambassade' and 'ambassée' denoted a mission or the sending of a messenger. The French term is generally traced to a Celtic root connected with the word for one who moves about on another's service, which also underlies 'ambassador'. The word was established in English by the late medieval period and remained in use through the early modern era, appearing prominently in the King James Bible (1611), before gradually yielding to 'embassy' and 'embassage' and eventually falling out of common use.
How ambassage is actually used
Ambassage is archaic and formal; it appears today almost exclusively in historical texts, older Bible translations such as the King James Version, and deliberately antique literary prose. In ordinary modern usage, 'embassy', 'mission', or 'delegation' has replaced it.
Easily confused with ambassage
Embassy is the modern word for a diplomatic mission or its building, while ambassage is an older, now largely obsolete term for a message or delegation sent on such business.