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

She also said it was a "disgrace" that the South African high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, had accompanied Zuma to the meeting with Gupta.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

"When an innovation takes such deep root in the lives of children, we cannot make an improvised response," France's high commissioner for children Sarah El Hairy said Monday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 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

His staunch Protestantism rendered him exceedingly obnoxious to James, duke of York, who in 1680 arrived as high commissioner in Scotland and at once expressed his jealousy of Argyll’s immense territorial influence.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 5 "Arculf" to "Armour, Philip" by Various