ambassadonor

Etymology

Blend of ambassador + donor.

Why this word is great

AMBASSADONOR — [Noun] A diplomatic appointee whose selection hinges significantly on prior financial contributions to the appointing administration. Blend of ambassador (from Middle English ambassadore, via Anglo-Norman ambassadeur, ultimately from Latin ambactus "servant") + donor (from Middle English donoure, via Anglo-Norman donour, from Latin donare "to give"). Unlike an emissary (selected for negotiation skills) or a benefactor (whose gifts carry no implicit demands), the ambassadonor operates at the intersection of statecraft and patronage. It is the lacquered business card slipped across a donor dinner, the whispered understanding that Luxembourg’s cobblestones await the reliably generous, the unspoken calculus where ambassadorial credentials are measured in campaign zeros—for in the ledger of power, generosity is seldom altruistic.

noun

  1. Someone selected as an ambassador based at least in part upon their history of political donations or contributions.“Earlier this year, three of Obama’s "ambassadonor" picks raised eyebrows in their confirmation hearing testimony.”