Meanings
legate1
plural legates
- A deputy representing the pope, specifically a papal ambassador sent on special ecclesiastical missions.
- An ambassador or messenger.
The dark figure on the raised white terrace; legate of the sun facing the sun; the most ancient royal power.
1965, John Fowles, The Magus1 more example
Moſt great and puiſant Monarke of the earth, Your Baſſoe wil accompliſh your beheſt: And ſhew your pleaſure to the Perſean, As fits the Legate of the ſtately Turke.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene i - The deputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome.
Legate, I had the news last night—my cohort ordered home By ships to Portus Itius and thence by road to Rome.
1911, Rudyard Kipling, “The Roman Centurion’s Song”, in The History of England
legate2
present singular third person legates · participle present legating · participle past legated · past legated
legate3
Legate4
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
legate · noun
- Latinlēgātus
- Old Frenchlegat
- Old Englishlegat(e)
- Englishlegate
Inherited from Old English legat(e), from Old French legat, from Latin lēgātus, substantivized from the perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, send as envoy”).
More words from Old English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →legate · verb
- Latinlēgātus
- Englishlegate
Borrowed from Latin lēgātus, perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, leave as legacy, legate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →legate · noun
- Latinlēgātum“a legacy”
- Englishlegate
Borrowed from Latin lēgātum (“a legacy”), substantivized from the neuter forms of the perfect passive participle of lēgō (“to bequeath, leave as legacy, legate”). Doublet of legacy.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian легат, пратеник
- легат (legat)deputy representing the pope
- пратеник (pratenik)ambassador or messenger
Czech legát, vyslanec
- legátdeputy representing the pope
- vyslanecambassador or messenger
Dutch legaat, legaat
- legaatdeputy representing the pope
- legaatdeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Esperanto legato, legato
- legatodeputy representing the pope
- legatodeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
French légat, légat
- légatdeputy representing the pope
- légatdeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
German Legat, Gesandte
- Legatdeputy representing the pope
- Gesandteambassador or messenger
Greek παπικός έξαρχος, απεσταλμένος
- παπικός έξαρχος (papikós éxarchos)deputy representing the pope
- απεσταλμένος (apestalménos)ambassador or messenger
- εκπρόσωπος (ekprósopos)ambassador or messenger
- έξαρχος (éxarchos)deputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Hungarian legátus, nuncius
- legátusdeputy representing the pope
- nunciusdeputy representing the pope
- követambassador or messenger
- helytartódeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Irish leagáid, leagáid
- leagáiddeputy representing the pope
- leagáidambassador or messenger
Latin lēgātus
- lēgātusambassador or messenger
Polish legat, legat
- legatdeputy representing the pope
- legatdeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Russian лега́т, лега́т
- лега́т (legát)deputy representing the pope
- лега́т (legát)deputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Spanish legado pontificio, legado (desus.)
- legado pontificiodeputy representing the pope
- legado (desus.)ambassador or messenger
- legadodeputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
legate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legate
“legate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “legate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/legate.
Source: legate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.