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secretary-general

American

[sek-ri-ter-ee-jen-er-uhl] / ˈsɛk rɪˌtɛr iˈdʒɛn ər əl /

noun

the head or chief administrative officer of a secretariat.

secretary-general British

noun

a chief administrative official, as of the United Nations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

secretaries-general

plural

Etymology

Origin of secretary-general

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is high time a woman took charge of the United Nations, argued three of the candidates in the running to take over as secretary-general, at a debate on Tuesday.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Shibl Al Zaidi is the secretary-general of an Iran-backed militia group called Kataib Al-Imam Ali, a U.S. designated terror group.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The two women, aged about 20 and believed to be of Sundanese origin, were found dead inside the boat, according to Christophe Marx, secretary-general of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, a candidate for UN secretary-general, said Tuesday she hoped the world is finally "ready" for a woman in the position.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Cyril Ramaphosa was elected secretary-general, evidence that the torch was being passed from an older generation of leadership to a younger one.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023