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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of high commissioner

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high commissioner

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

South Africa's high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, was also pictured with the duo and he has since been recalled.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

African governments have expressed alarm, and Ghana is planning to repatriate this week hundreds of its nationals, its high commissioner Benjamin Quashie told AFP at the weekend, admitting many had expired work permits.

From Barron's ● May 25, 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

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