high commissioner

American  

noun

1. a representative of one sovereign member of the Commonwealth of Nations in the country of another, having a rank and responsibilities generally similar to those of an ambassador.

2. the chief of a special international commission or other organization.

3. the head of government in a mandate, protectorate, possession, or the like.

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high commissioner British  

noun

1. the senior diplomatic representative sent by one Commonwealth country to another instead of an ambassador

2. the head of an international commission

3. the chief officer in a colony or other dependency

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Etymology

Origin of high commissioner

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high commissioner

In France -- where no trials are scheduled for the moment -- planning high commissioner Clement Beaune recently criticised the EU for in his words "lagging behind".

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

“This increases the risk of fuelling social disruption in Cuba,” the U.N. office of the high commissioner for human rights said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

France's high commissioner for French Polynesia said a "30-metre-high" landslide swept one house away, sending it crashing into a second.

From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025

That same day, India ordered out six senior Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025

Most of the diggers being British subjects, the high commissioner of South Africa interfered, and a Cape official was appointed magistrate at Klip Drift, President Parker resigning office in February 1871.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various