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

“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

Turk, who has been the UN's high commissioner for human rights since 2022, said the ban "appears disproportionate and unnecessary".

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025

The office of high commissioner in South Africa was now separated from the governorship of the Cape and associated with that of the Transvaal—an indication of the changed conditions in South Africa.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various