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 staunchly opposed both Trump impeachments while co-sponsoring impeachment resolutions against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden.

From Los Angeles Times

All of his hiring decisions so far, including Monday’s news that former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Tom Homan will serve as Trump’s border czar, and then his selection of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem—a proponent of Trump’s mass expulsion—as secretary of Homeland Security, signal that he actually intends to move forward with the insane idea to deport every single one of the at least 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.

From Slate

For some, that brand of fealty is in line with Trump’s choice for his secretary of Defense: conservative Fox News personality and military combat veteran Pete Hegseth.

From Los Angeles Times

Who is Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host and military veteran President-elect Donald Trump nominated as Defense secretary?

From Los Angeles Times

McCarthy, the former congressman from Bakersfield, praised Trump’s other picks, especially Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of State.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assistant
• clerk
• executive secretary