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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high commissioner

Pillay, a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights, received the prize Friday for her decades of work advancing international law and accountability for atrocities.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

The UN's high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk said governments needed to "step up rather than wait for courts and companies to act".

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 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

Shortly after, he was a special high commissioner to Madrid.

From Historic Fredericksburg The Story of an Old Town by John T. Goolrick

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