The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word PASHA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
A
S
H
A
More clues leading to the result PASHA
- High official and old men laugh
- Dignitary and I see fool making comeback
- Yearly gathering remains official in Turkey
- Old man has upset former Turkish officer
- Adolescent infatuation with a Turkish officer
- Sherpas have it in for former governor
- Crush a Muslim dignitary
- Secretary hugging tree that was official in Turkey
- Crush a Turkish governor
- Governor’s old title the old man has abandoned
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Dignitary" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dignitary = pasha.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PASHA mean?
PASHA noun- A high-ranking Turkish military officer, especially as a commander or regional governor; the highest honorary title during the Ottoman Empire.
- The Indian butterfly Herona marathus, family Nymphalidae.