Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An official emissary, especially an official representative of the pope.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To bequeath; give by will; give and bequeath.
  • noun A legacy.
  • noun A person commissioned to represent a state, or the highest authority in the state, in a foreign state or court; a deputy; an ambassador.
  • noun Specifically In Roman history, a foreign envoy chosen by the senate, or a lieutenant of a general or of a consul or other magistrate in the government of an army or a province.
  • noun One who is delegated by the Pope as his representative in the performance of certain ecclesiastical or political functions, or both.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An ambassador or envoy.
  • noun An ecclesiastic representing the pope and invested with the authority of the Holy See.
  • noun An official assistant given to a general or to the governor of a province.
  • noun Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A deputy representing the Pope, specifically a papal ambassador sent on special ecclesiastical missions.
  • noun An ambassador or messenger.
  • noun The deputy of a provincial governor or general in ancient Rome.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of a legation

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French legat, from Medieval Latin lēgātus, from Latin, past participle of lēgāre, to depute; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Late Old English, from Old French legat, from Latin legatus (nominal use of perfect passive participle of lego ("bequeath, send as envoy")).

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Examples

  • So the family -- Keith and other family members met with the FBI today, with the idea that they're going to initiate the process that takes place where, here from the U.S. you try to get a hold of what's called the legate, which is the legal liaison in Bangkok.

    CNN Transcript Jun 5, 2009 2009

  • A legate was a high-ranking officer, a member of the Senate, who was authorized to command in his superiors absence.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • A legate was a high-ranking officer, a member of the Senate, who was authorized to command in his superiors absence.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • A legate was a high-ranking officer, a member of the Senate, who was authorized to command in his superiors absence.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • A legate was a high-ranking officer, a member of the Senate, who was authorized to command in his superiors absence.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • I recalled the legate saying he might have a use for the monster.

    The Black Company Cook, Glen 1984

  • The legate was his superior-officer, and he sent her every day some present or flowers.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Georg Ebers Works Georg Ebers 1867

  • The legate was his superior-officer, and he sent her every day some present or flowers.

    Homo Sum — Complete Georg Ebers 1867

  • The legate was his superior-officer, and he sent her every day some present or flowers.

    Homo Sum — Volume 02 Georg Ebers 1867

  • The legate was her only comfort; the legate and the thing which she called religion.

    The Reign of Mary Tudor James Anthony Froude 1856

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