A
missus dominicus (plural
missi dominici),
Latin for "envoy[s] of the lord [ruler]" or
palace inspector, also known in
Dutch as
Zendgraaf (
German:
Sendgraf), meaning "sent
Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or
Holy Roman Emperor to supervise the administration, mainly of justice, in parts of his dominions too far for frequent personal visits. As such, the
missus performed important intermediary functions between royal and local administrations. There are superficial points of comparison with the original Roman
corrector, except that the
missus was sent out on a regular basis. Four points made the
missi effective as instruments of the centralized monarchy: the personal character of the
missus, yearly change, isolation from local interests and the free choice of the king.