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

"All these factors exacerbate vulnerability and raise serious concerns as to whether some of these deaths in ICE custody could have been prevented," said Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 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

Former Canadian high commissioner to the UK, Jeremy Kinsman, said the intervention had been "outstanding" and Trump seems to have reduced his aggressive rhetoric.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025

In 1880 he was appointed Canadian high commissioner to Great Britain, but retired in 1883 in favour of Sir Charles Tupper.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various