special envoy; special emissary
Refers to a person sent on a specific diplomatic or official mission, often with temporary authority.
The prime minister appointed the former minister as a special envoy.
The government dispatched a special envoy for peace negotiations.
The government dispatched a special envoy for the peace negotiations.
He visited North Korea as a special envoy.
使節 broadly refers to a delegation or mission (often a group), whereas 特使 denotes a single designated envoy.
公使 is a formal diplomatic rank below ambassador stationed abroad, while 特使 is a mission-specific envoy without a fixed rank.
特使 is a special envoy sent for a specific diplomatic mission, while 使者 is the general word for any messenger or representative.
密使 is a secret envoy sent covertly, while 特使 is an openly designated special envoy.
特使 means a special envoy sent on a diplomatic mission, while 特派員 usually means a news correspondent, so the two are easily confused due to the shared 特 and 'specially sent' nuance.
Compound of 特 (special) and 使 (envoy/messenger). The reading is on'yomi.