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secretary of defense

Cultural

The civilian head of the United States Department of Defense and a member of the cabinet, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of defense works with civilian and military advisers to formulate American military policies and make foreign policy recommendations to the president.

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.

And an executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2012 delegated this authority to the secretary of defense.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

“This war was a threshold-crossing event in so many different ways,” said Dana Stroul, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

On Veep, he played a comical version of the US secretary of defense, who runs for office against the main character, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

At one point in the film, a junior official points out that U.S. interceptors have failed almost half their tests, and the secretary of defense responds by bellowing: “That’s what $50 billion buys us?”

From Salon • Nov. 27, 2025

He listened carefully to his secretary of defense, Robert McNamara.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

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