consul
pronunciation
How to pronounce consul in British English:
UK [ˈkɒnsl]
How to pronounce consul in American English:
US [ˈkɑnsl]
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- Noun:
- a diplomat appointed by a government to protect its commercial interests and help its citizens in a foreign country
Word Origin
- consul (n.)
- late 14c., "magistrate in ancient Rome," from Old French consule and directly from Latin consul "magistrate in ancient Rome," probably originally "one who consults the Senate," from consulere "to deliberate, take counsel" (see consultation). Modern sense began with use as appellation of various foreign officials and magistrates, "a representative chosen by a community of merchants living in a foreign country; an agent appointed by a government or ruler to represent the interests of its subjects and traders in a foreign place" (c. 1600), an extended sense that developed 13c. in the Spanish form of the word.
Example
- 1. Yasuhisa kawamura is japan 's deputy consul general in new york .
- 2. Two months earlier , the chilean consul was shot and wounded by kidnappers .
- 3. He will consult advisers that include stephen bradley , the former uk consul general in hong kong .
- 4. Two afghan diplomats and one iranian were recently abducted in peshawar ; the american consul was lucky to survive a murder attempt there last year .
- 5. The chinese consul challenged me to learn mandarin , saying it was impossible for anyone to conquer the language in three months .