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

More than 270 Ugandan nationals arrived home late Thursday aboard their government's first voluntary repatriation flight, the high commissioner said on social media.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Volker Turk, the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, said he we "deeply concerned by the upholding of the conviction" by the Phnom Penh appeals court on Thursday.

From Barron's ● May 1, 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

Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, meanwhile called for more international pressure to end the war.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025

When, by the treaty of Paris of November 5, 1815, the Ionian Islands were placed under the protectorate of Great Britain, Corfu became the seat of the British high commissioner.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various