secretary

[ sek-ri-ter-ee ]

noun

, plural sec·re·tar·ies.

1. a person, usually an official, who is in charge of the records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, and related affairs of an organization, company, association, etc.:

   the secretary of the Linguistic Society of America.

2. a person employed to handle correspondence and do routine work in a business office, usually involving taking dictation, typing, filing, and the like.
3. private secretary.
4. (often initial capital letter) an officer of state charged with the superintendence and management of a particular department of government, as a member of the president's cabinet in the U.S.:

   Secretary of the Treasury.

5. Also called diplomatic secretary. a diplomatic official of an embassy or legation who ranks below a counselor and is usually assigned as first secretary, second secretary, or third secretary.
6. a piece of furniture for use as a writing desk.
7. Also called secretary bookcase. a desk with bookshelves on top of it.

secretary

/ -ərɪ; ˈsɛkrətrɪ; ˌsɛkrɪˈtɛərɪəl /

noun

1. a person who handles correspondence, keeps records, and does general clerical work for an individual, organization, etc
2. the official manager of the day-to-day business of a society or board
3. (in Britain) a senior civil servant who assists a government minister
4. (in the US and New Zealand) the head of a government administrative department
5. (in Britain) See secretary of state
6. (in Australia) the head of a public service department
7. diplomacy the assistant to an ambassador or diplomatic minister of certain countries
8. another name for secretaire

Derived Forms

• secretarial, adjective
• ˈsecretaryship, noun

Other Words From

• secre·tary·ship noun
• sub·secre·tary noun plural subsecretaries
• sub·secre·tary·ship noun
• under·secre·tary·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary¹

1350–1400; Middle English secretarie one trusted with private or secret matters; confidant < Medieval Latin sēcrētārius < Latin sēcrēt ( um ) secret (noun) + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of secretary¹

C14: from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius, from Latin sēcrētum something hidden; see secret

Example Sentences

He said he would sign an executive order that directs every cabinet secretary and agency head to “use every tool and authority at their disposal” to defeat inflation and to bring consumer prices down.

From BBC

He said he knew this because of time he had spent in America in the aftermath of the election, and because he knew the incoming defence secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, "very well".

From BBC

Implementing a new assisted dying law would come at the expense of other NHS services, the health secretary has suggested.

From BBC

There's no telling who this braintrust is going to choose for attorney general or secretary of state — some semi-respectable names have been floated but there are also Hegseth-level choices out there as well.

From Salon

Since triumphing in last week's vote, Trump has been assembling his top team - with another of his one-time Republican rivals, Marco Rubio, reportedly in the frame to be his new secretary of state.

From BBC

Related Words

• assistant
• clerk
• executive secretary