Other forms: envoys
An envoy is an official messenger between governments. A special envoy, the UN envoy, send an envoy.
A special envoy is appointed for one problem rather than to one country, which is what distinguishes the job from an ambassador's. It is also a formal diplomatic rank below ambassador. The French behind it simply means one who has been sent.
1nounenvoyAn official messenger between governments.
“The two countries exchanged envoys for the first time in fifty years.”
envoy is a messenger.
French envoye means one sent, from envoyer, to send, from a Latin phrase meaning to put on the way.
French
envoyé — envoy, messenger
English, today
envoy
Built from
From French envoyé (“envoy, messenger”), from envoyer (“send”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA