Legal Definitions - legate

Definition: A legate is an official who is sent on a special mission by the emperor, a governor, or a general in a military or administrative activity. It can also refer to a papal representative or an ambassador representing a country in a foreign country. Additionally, it can be used as a verb to mean leaving property as a legacy.

• During the Roman Empire, a legate was an official who was appointed to assist or act for the emperor, a governor, or a general in a military or administrative activity.
• A papal legate is a representative of the Vatican who may or may not have both diplomatic and ecclesiastical status.
• The United States sent a legate to negotiate a trade agreement with China.
• When my grandfather passed away, he legated his antique watch collection to me.

The examples illustrate how a legate can be a representative of a higher authority, whether it be the emperor, the pope, or a country. It can also refer to leaving property as a legacy.